ALESTINE
PILGRIMS
•V
SOC.fc.
THE
PILGRIMAGE OF ARCULFUS
IN THE
HOLY LAND.
flu lo I I cattfy)s ,n/-3J
THE
PILGRIMAGE OF ARCULFUS
IN THE
HOLY LAND
(About the Year A.D. 670).
BY THE
REV. JAMES ROSE MACPHERSON, B.D.
+ 1 +
+ 1 +
LONDON :
24, HANOVER SQUARE, W.
1895.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
PREFACE - - - - - - - xi
LIST OF MANUSCRIPTS - - - - - xix
ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY
ADAMNAN.
BOOK I.
CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION - - - - - - i
I. THE SITUATION OF JERUSALEM, THE GATES OF THE
CITY, THE YEARLY MARKET, THE SITE OF THE TEMPLE,
THE ORATORY OF THE SARACENS, THE GREAT HOUSES 2
II. THE ROUND CHURCH BUILT ABOVE THE SEPULCHRE OF
THE LORD - - - - - - 5
III. THE FORM OF THE SEPULCHRE ITSELF AND ITS LITTLE
CABIN - - - - - - 6
IV. THE STONE THAT WAS ROLLED TO THE MOUTH OF THE
TOMB, WHICH THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, DESCENDING
FROM HEAVEN AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, ROLLED
BACK ; THE CHAPEL, AND THE SEPULCHRE - - 8
V. THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY, WHICH ADJOINS THE ROUND
CHURCH - - - - - - 9
VI. THE CHURCH THAT IS BUILT ON THE SITE OF CALVARY 9
VII. THE BASILICA WHICH CONSTANTINE BUILT CLOSE TO
THE ABOVE-NAMED CHURCH ON THE SPOT WHERE .
THE CROSS OF THE LORD, WHICH HAD BEEN BURIED
IN RUINS, WAS FOUND, WHEN AFTER MANY CENTURIES
THE EARTH WAS DUG UP - - - - lO
VIII. THE SITE OF THE ALTAR OF ABRAHAM - - lO
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I'AGB
IX. THE RECESS SITUATED BETWEEN THE CHURCH OF CAL-
VARY AND THE BASILICA OF CONSTANTINE, IN WHICH
ARE KEPT THE CUP OF THE LORD AND THE SPONGE
FROM WHICH, AS HE HUNG ON THE TREE, HE DRANK
VINEGAR AND WINE - - - - II
X. THE SPEAR OF THE SOLDIER WITH WHICH HE PIERCED
THE SIDE OF THE LORD - - - - 12
XI. THE NAPKIN WITH WHICH THE HEAD OF THE LORD
WAS COVERED IN THE SEPULCHRE - - - 12
XII. ANOTHER SACRED LINEN CLOTH WHICH, AS IS SAID,
ST. MARY THE VIRGIN, THE MOTHER OF THE LORD,
WOVE - - - - - - l6
XIII. THE LOFTY COLUMN SITUATED ON THE SPOT WHERE A
DEAD YOUNG MAN CAME TO LIFE AGAIN, WHEN THE
CROSS OF THE LORD WAS PLACED ON HIM ; AND THE
MIDDLE OF THE WORLD - - - - l6
XIV. THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY BUILT IN THE VALLEY OF
JOSAPHAT, IN WHICH IS HER TOMB - - 17
XV. THE TOWER OF JOSAPHAT BUILT IN THE SAME VALLEY - 1 8
XVI. THE TOMBS OF SIMEON AND JOSEPH - - - l8
XVIL THE CAVE IN THE ROCK OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVET,
ACROSS THE VALLEY OF JOSAPHAT, IN WHICH ARE
FOUR TABLES AND TWO WELLS - - - l8
XVin. THE GATE OF DAVID, AND THE PLACE WHERE JUDAS
ISCARIOTH HANGED HIMSELF BY A ROPE - ' ^9
XIX. THE FORM OF THE GREAT BASILICA BUILT ON MOUNT
SIGN, AND THE SITUATION OF THAT MOUNTAIN - 20
XX. THE LITTLE FIELD CALLED IN HEBREW AKELDEMAC - 21
XXI. THE ROUGH AND ROCKY GROUND THAT EXTENDS FAR
AND WIDE, FROM JERUSALEM TO THE CITY OF
SAMUEL, AND TO CiESAREA OF PALESTINE TOWARDS
THE WEST - - - - - - 21
XXn. THE MOUNT OF OLIVET, ITS HEIGHT AND THE
CHARACTER OF ITS SOIL - - - - 21
XXIIL THE PLACE OF THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD, AND
THE CHURCH BUILT ON IT - - - - 22
XXIV. THE SEPULCHRE OF LAZARUS AND THE CHURCH BUILT
ABOVE IT, AND THE ADJOINING MONASTERY - 26
XXV. ANOTHER CHURCH BUILT TO THE RIGHT OF BETHANY 26
CONTENTS.
BOOK II.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE SITUATION OF BETHLEHEM - - - 28
II. THE PLACE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD, THE
CHURCH OF ST. MARY - - - - 28
in. THE ROCK SITUATED BEYOND THE WALL, UPON
WHICH THE WATER, IN WHICH HE WAS FIRST
WASHED AFTER HIS BIRTH, WAS POURED- - 29
IV. ANOTHER CHURCH, IN WHICH THE TOMB OF DAVID
IS SEEN - - - - - - 30
V. THE CHURCH WITHIN WHICH IS THE SEPULCHRE
OF ST. HIERONYMUS (jEROME) - - "30
VI. THE TOMBS OF THE THREE SHEPHERDS, AROUND
WHOM, WHEN THE LORD WAS BORN, THE HEAVENLY *
BRIGHTNESS SHONE; AND THEIR CHURCH - 30
VIL THE SEPULCHRE OF RACHEL- - - ' Z^
VIIL HEBRON - - - - - "31
IX. THE VALLEY OF MAMBRE, AND THE SEPULCHRE OF
THE FOUR PATRIARCHS - - - - 32
X. THE HILL AND THE OAK OF MAMBRE - - 33
XI. THE PINE-FOREST FROM WHICH FIREWOOD IS BROUGHT
TO JERUSALEM ON CAMELS - - "34
XH. JERICHO - - - - - - 35
XIII. GALGAL, AND THE TWELVE STONES WHICH THE
CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AFTER CROSSING THE RIVER
JORDAN, TOOK FROM ITS DRIED CHANNEL - 35
XIV. THE PLACE WHERE OUR LORD WAS BAPTIZED BY
JOHN - - - - - - 36
XV. THE COLOUR OF THE JORDAN AND THE DEAD SEA - 38
XVL THE DEAD SEA — CONTINUED- - - "39
XVII. THE FOUNTAINS OF THE JORDAN - - "39
XVIII. THE SEA OF GALILEE - - - 40
XIX. SICHEM AND THE WELL OF SAMARIA - "41
XX. A LITTLE FOUNTAIN IN THE WILDERNESS - - 43
XXI. THE LOCUSTS AND THE WILD HONEY - - 43
XXII. THE PLACE WHERE THE LORD BLESSED THE FIVE
LOAVES AND THE TWO FISHES - - "43
XXIII. THE SEA OF TIBERIAS AND CAPHARNAUM - - 44
CONTENTS.
CHAl'TKR PAGH
XXIV. NAZARETH AND ITS CHURCHES - - "45
XXV. MOUNT TABOR - - - - - 46
XXVI. DAMASCUS - - - - - "47
XXVII. TYRE- - - - - - - 47
XXVIII. ALEXANDRIA, AND THE RIVER NILE AND ITS CROCO-
DILES - - - - - - 48
BOOK III.
L THE CITY OF CONSTANTINOPLE - • - '53
II. THE FOUNDATION OF THAT CITY - - "53
III. THE CHURCH IN WHICH THE CROSS OF THE LORD IS
PRESERVED - - - - - "55
IV. ST. GEORGE THE CONFESSOR - - - "57
V. THE PICTURE OF ST. MARY - - - - 62
VI. MOUNT VULCAN - - - - - "63
VIL EPILOGUE - - - - - - 64
THE VENERABLE BEDE CONCERNIiNG
THE HOLY PLACES.
( The numbers in parentheses shoiv the corresponding chapters of Arctclfns.)
tHAPTER PAGE
I. (BOOK I., CHAP, l) THE SITUATION OF JERUSALEM - 67
n. (chap. VIL, VI., II., IIL, IV., v., VIIL, X.) THE CHURCH OF
CONSTANTINE AND OF GOLGOTHA, THE CHURCH OF
THE RESURRECTION AND THE SEPULCHRE OF THE LORD,
THE STONE THAT WAS ROLLED TO THE MOUTH OF
THE TOMB, THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY, THE CUP OF
THE LORD AND THE SPONGE, THE ALTAR OF ABRA-
HAM, THE soldier's SPEAR - - - - 68
HI (l., XIX., XXIII.) THE TEMPLE, THE ORATORY OF THE
SARACENS, THE POOL OF BETHESDA, THE FOUNTAIN
OF SILOA, THE CHURCH BUILT UPON MOUNT SIGN,
THE PLACE OF THE STONING OF ST. STEPHEN, THE
MIDDLE OF THE WORLD - - - -70
CONTENTS. IX
IV. (XI., XII.) THE NAPKIN OF THE HEAD OF THE LORD, AND
ANOTHER LARGER LINEN CLOTH WOVEN BY ST. MARY 72
V. (XXI., XV., XVI., XIV.) THE PLACES ROUND JERUSALEM,
THE VALLEY OF JOSAPHAT, HIS SEPULCHRE AND
THOSE OF OTHERS, THE CHURCH IN Vi'HICH ST. MARY
V^^AS BURIED - - - - - "73
VL (XVIII., XX.) THE PLACE VV^HERE JUDAS WAS HANGED,
AND ACHELDEMAC - - - - - 74
VIL (XXIL, XXIIL, XXIV., XXV.) THE MOUNT OF OLIVET AND
THE CHURCH BUILT THERE, WHERE THE LORD
ASCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS — THE TOMB OF
LAZARUS, AND A THIRD CHURCH - • "74
VIIL (BOOK II., CHAP. L, II., IIL, IV. v., VI., VII.) THE
SITUATION OF BETHLEHEM, THE CHURCH UPON THE
PLACE WHERE THE LORD WAS BORN, THE SEPULCHRES
OF DAVID AND HIERONYMUS AND THE THREE SHEP-
HERDS, AND ALSO THAT OF RACHEL - - 76
IX. (viIL, IX., X., XL) the SITUATION OF HEBRON, MAMBRE,
AND THE TOMB OF THE PATRIARCHS AND OF ADAM,
THE PINE WOOD - - - - - 77
X. (XIL, XIII.) JERICHO AND ITS HOLY PLACES, GALGAL
AND THE FOUNTAIN OF HELISEUS, THE GREAT
PLAIN - • - - - - 77
XI. (XV., XVIL, XVIII.) THE JORDAN AND THE SEA OF
GALILEE - - - - - - 79
XIL (xV., XVI.) THE DEAD SEA AND ITS NATURE, AND
THAT OF THK NEIGHBOURING DISTRICT - - 80
Xin. (XIV.) THE PLACE WHERE THE LORD WAS BAPTIZED - 82
XIV. (XXI., XX.) THE LOCUSTS AND THE WILD HONEY, AND
THE FOUNTAIN OF JOHN THE BAPTIST - - 82
XV. (XIX.) THE FOUNTAIN OF JACOB NEAR SICHEM - 83
XVI. (xXIL, XVIII., XXIIL, XXIV.) TIBERIAS AND CAPHARNAUM
AND NAZARETH AND THE HOLY PLACES THERE - 83
XVII. (XXV.) MOUNT TABOR AND THE THREE CHURCHES ON IT 84
XVIII. (XXVI.) THE SITUATION OF DAMASCUS - - 84
XIX. (XXVIII.) THE SITUATION OF ALEXANDRIA, THE CHURCH
IN WHICH MARK THE EVANGELIST RESTS, AND THE
MHi - , . - 84
CONTENTS.
XX. (BOOK III., CHAP. I.) CONSTANTINOPLE, AND THE
BASILICA IN THAT CITY WHICH CONTAINS THE CROSS
OF THE LORD - - - - - 85
XXI. EPILOGUE - - - - - 87
APPENDIX.
TRANSLATION OF PORTIONS OF ' ARCULf's NARRATIVE,' FROM
.' i
PROFESSOR WILLIS * HOLY SEPULCHRE - - - 88
ILLUSTRATIONS,
PLAN OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE FrouHspiece.
PLAN OF THE BASILICA ON MOUNT SION, SHOWING THE
SITES ON THE SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAIN - - 20
PLAN OF THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION - - 25
PLAN OF THE CHURCH BUILT ABOVE JACOB's WELL - 42
PREFACE.
Nothing appears to be known of Arculfus, the pilgrim of
whose travels this work is a narrative, beyond the very-
slight notices of him contained in the work itself and in a
reference to it by the Venerable Bede in his 'Ecclesiastical
History.' From these we learn that he was a native of
France (Gaul), and that at the time when he undertook the
journey referred to he had attained the rank of Bishop;
but we have no information at all as to the see over which
he presided. It is stated by Bede that his bishopric was
in France, and, although this might be a mere supposition
grounded on the references in the record itself, we need
not hesitate to accept it as being correct. His pilgrimage
to the East was undertaken about the year A.D. 670, accord-
ing to the calculation of Dr. Tobler (Societe de I'Orient
Latin), and it must have occupied some time. He spent
nine months in the city of Jerusalem (possibly during that
period he may have made shorter visits to the south or
the north of Palestine), and he gives us an account of the
chief places of interest to the west of the Jordan, including
in the south, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Galgal, and
the Dead Sea, — and in the north, Sichem, Mount Tabor,
Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, and the sources of the Jordan.
After extending his travels as far as Tyre and Damascus,
y
PREFACE.
and returning to Jerusalem, he sailed from Joppa to
Alexandria, taking forty days to accomplish the voyage.
From Egypt he passed to Crete, spending some days there,
and thence to Constantinople, where he stayed for some
months — from Easter to Christmas. On his voyage home-
wards he visited Sicily and proceeded to Rome. Here,
however, his good fortune ceased, as the ship in which he
had hoped to reach his home after leaving Rome was
caught in a violent storm, which drove it so completely out
of its course that it was cast on one of the western points
of Scotland, and we find Arculf *at length, after many
dangers,' at lona, the guest of Adamnan, the Abbot of the
Monastery of Hy, who, according to Bede's narrative
(book v., cap. 15), 'found him to be learned in the
Scriptures, and acquainted with the Holy Places, so that he
received him most willingly, and heard him more willingly ;
so much so that he himself caused to be at once committed to
writing whatever he testified to be worthy of mention of all
that he had seen in the Holy Places.' Adamnan, in his own
narrative, represents himself as sedulously asking Arculf to
tell him his experiences, and writing them down at once,
as they were dictated, on waxed tablets, from which he
afterwards compiled this work, with such additional infor-
mation as he thought it advisable to insert from the works
of other writers with which he was acquainted, and with
the omission of a good deal of matter which was already
sufficiently well known from those other works. Arculf
had, in part of his travels, been accompanied by a Burgun-
dian monk, whom he calls Peter, who acted as his guide,
and of whose haste he at times complains. Peter, according
to one MS. (Codex Caduinensis), had been for a long time
in exile for the Lord's sake : he was well acquainted with
the Holy Places in Palestine, and he is represented as living
in a 'solitary place,' which he was apparently desirous of
PREFACE.
returning to more hurriedly than accorded with the wishes
of his companion.
It would be out of place to enter here on any general
details as to the life and position of Adamnan, who is the
actual writer of this work. A native of Ireland (probably
of Donegal), where he was born in 624, belonging to a noble
family, he is first known to us as entering the brotherhood
of lona, probably during the abbacy of Seghine, fifth
abbot, 623-652. Here, during several years, he so com-
mended himself to his brethren by his character and his
learning, that on the death of Failbhe, eighth abbot, in 679,
he was elected his successor. He had at some time or
other, whether in Ireland or in lona, been brought in
contact with Aldfrid, the exiled prince of Northumbria,
who is spoken of in the Irish legends as the * alumnus ' of
Adamnan. Whatever this relationship may have actually
been, it led Adamnan, on the restoration of Aldfrid in 685,
to undertake an embassy to his court, with a view (appar-
ently) to plead the cause of some Irish captives. It is in
his account of this visit to Aldfrid that the Venerable Bede
introduces his reference to this work : * This same man
wrote a book about the Holy Places, which is most useful
to many readers ; its real author, by instruction and by
dictation, was Arculfus, a French Bishop (Galliarum
Episcopus), who for the sake of the Holy Places had gone
to Jerusalem, and having passed over all the Land of
Promise, visited also Damascus, Constantinople, Alexandria,
and many islands of the sea ; and as he was returning to
his native land by sea, he was carried by the violence of a
tempest to the western shores of Britain : and after many
[dangers], he came to that servant of Christ, who has been
mentioned, Adamnan, who found him to be learned in the
Scriptures, and acquainted with the Holy Places, so that he
received him most willingly, and heard him more willingly;
xiv PREFACE.
so much so that he himself caused to be at once committed
to writing whatever he testified to be worthy of mention
of all that he had seen in the Holy Places. And he made
a work, as I have said, which is of much use, and specially
so to those who are so far distant from those places in
which the patriarchs and the apostles lived that they can
learn as to them only what they can inform themselves
about by reading. Now, Adamnan brought this book to
King Aldfrid, and by his liberality it was read by men of
humbler station. The writer also was himself presented
by him with many gifts, and sent back to his country '
('Eccles. Hist.,' book v., cap. 15). The presentation of the
work to Aldfrid is postponed by Dr. Reeves to a second
journey made by Adamnan in 688, when he stayed for
some time in Northumbria.
The work, ' De Locis Sanctis,' thus written by Adamnan,
is divided into three books ; the first two of which are of
about the same length, the third much shorter. The First
Book opens with a description of the city of Jerusalem,
and proceeds to describe the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
and the neighbouring buildings, the description being of
the greatest importance, as showing the actual position (at
least, as understood by the writer) at a period separated
from that of Antoninus Martyr, the next preceding pilgrim
whose narrative is in our possession, by the Persian invasion
under Chosroes H., when the city was all but ruined, and
by that of the Arabs under the Caliph Omar. It has not
been found to be practicable to insert in this volume a
satisfactory note on these details as recorded from Arculf's
account, but this will follow later. The narrative is inter-
rupted by a long, and to the modern mind most useless,
chapter as to the napkin that covered the head of the Lord
in the sepulchre, and it is followed in this book by an
account of the sites in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the
PREFACE, XV
Mount of Olives, and Bethany. The Second Book opens
with Southern Palestine, represented by Bethlehem and
Hebron, with the places of interest in their neighbourhood ;
it then brings us again northward to Jericho, the Dead Sea,
and the different Holy Places on and near the Jordan ;
thence it passes somewhat erratically over Shechem, Mount
Tabor, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, the sources of the
Jordan, and closes with allusions to Damascus and Tyre,
and a longer description of Alexandria, with its harbour.
The Third Book describes Constantinople, relates some
marvellous incidents in connection with St. George the
Confessor, and, after a reference to Mount Vulcan, closes
with an Epilogue.
The work appears to have attained very considerable
acceptance over Europe. Disfigured as it is to our minds,
no less by the insertion of much that is now regarded as
simply rubbish, than by the omission of so much that we
should have greatly welcomed, the numerous copies of it
scattered over the Continent show the esteem in which it
was held. The Venerable Bede prepared an abbreviation
of it, which is also translated in this volume, and of which
he inserted some portions in his history. In addition to
the MSS. used by Dr. Tobler for his edition of the work,
copies are found at the monastery of S. Germanus a Pratis
(eighth century, probably the Corbey MS. used by Mabillon
for his edition), at Berne (tenth century), at Rheinau
(eleventh century), and at Salzburg (ninth or tenth cen-
tury) (Reeves, pp. 8, 58). The first printed edition was
published by Gretser, at Ingoldstadt, in 1619, from a MS.
sent to him by Father Rosweyd ' ex intima Holandia *
(Proleg., p. 22). The text was again published, at Venice,
in 1734, from better manuscripts, by Mabillon (Actt. SS.
Ord. Bened., saec. iii., part 2).
A certain special interest would attach to this work, as
PRE FA CI
the undoubted composition of a prior of the Scotic
monastery of I ona, and some information might be gathered
from it as to the exact belief of the Celtic Church on certain
questions, were it not that Adamnan labours under the
disadvantage for this purpose of having so strenuously
endeavoured to introduce the Roman usages into that
Church. The tract must have been written before the
second visit to King Aldfrid, during which his discussions
with Ceolfrid, Abbot of Jarrovv, as to Easter and the
tonsure, resulted in his adoption of the Roman usage; but
it seems scarcely possible to use it in this connection,
although one who has studied the question closely might
be able to make some interesting deductions as to the
customs of the Celtic Church.
Dr. Reeves, the editor of Adamnan's other work, * The
Life of St. Columba ' (published for the Irish Archaeological
and Celtic Society, Dublin, 1857; republished, with a trans-
lation, in the series of * The Historians of Scotland,'
Edinburgh, Edmonston and Douglas, 1874; the references
are to the former edition), says (p. Ixi.) that ' Of Adamnan's
two Latin works, the tract * De Locis Sanctis ' is the better
written and more flowing ; but it bears a striking re-
semblance to the other in many particulars of style, and
the use of peculiar words and phrases.' As to the latter,
one has only, after studying the Latin text of the present
work, to turn to the Glossary provided by Dr. Reeves, in
order to realize how similar the vocabulary of the two
works is. [I have to express my indebtedness to this
Glossary for aid in one or two cases, such as the peculiar
use of 'pyramis,' pp. 30, 31.] But if this work is really the
better written and more flowing of the two, one may
express one's condolence with Dr. Reeves in the difficulty
of the task he undertook, for even in this tract there are
several passages in which the author's meaning is scarcely
PREFACE. xvii
distinguishable, and where all one can do is to make what
seems to be the best guess at the translation. This has
been specially the case in the chapter dealing with Alex-
andria; and a very distinguished friend, whose assistance
was asked as to another passage, p. 37, characterizes the
connection of the words as passing all human comprehen-
sion. Among the marked peculiarities that one at once
recognises with Dr. Reeves, are 'the liberal employment
of diminutives, so characteristic of Irish composition, used
without any grammatical force, and commutable, in the
same chapters, with their primitives ;' * the use of frequent-
atives and intensitives ;' the occasional use of Greek or
Greco- Latin words; 'above all, the artificial, and often
unnatural, interweaving of his words in long sentences, and
the oft-recurring ablative absolute in awkward position'
(Reeves, p. Ixi.).
Reference has been made already to the abbreviation of
Adamnan's narrative made by the Venerable Bede, and a
translation of this work is also included in this volume.
Nothing need be said as to its author, and it is useless to
ask whether there can have been any connection at all
between him and Adamnan. He professes to have done
nothing more than * follow trustworthy histories, and espe-
cially that of Arculf, a Bishop of Gaul ' (p. %f). He has
not in any way felt bound to follow the order of the former
work, but has at times shown considerable ingenuity in
passing from page to page. He traverses practically the
whole range of that narrative, but in about one-third of
the space.
Bede, after referring to the work of Adamnan in the
passage already quoted, devotes two chapters of his
'Ecclesiastical History' (book v., 16, 17) to extracts from
this work of his own in which he has abbreviated the
longer narrative. It seems to have been generally assumed
PREFACE.
that the extracts are from the larger work, and Bede has
used words in introducing them that certainly favour the
idea and might mislead writers ; but they are taken almost
word for word from the shorter tract, and differ altogether
both in form and in language from the former text. They
consist of the following passages : cap. viii., § i, except
the last sentence; cap. ii., § i ; cap. vii., § i ; cap. ix., except
the last sentence. The misapprehension as to the exact
source has been shared by Dr. Reeves in both editions of
his *Life of St. Columba,' and also in his article on
'Adamnan' in Dr. Smith's 'Dictionary of Christian
Biography' (vol. i., p. 42), as well as Mr. Deedes in his
article on 'Arculf in that Dictionary (vol. i., p. 154)
The tract has apparently been at times known as ' Libellus
de Situ Jerusalem, sive de Locis Sanctis,' and is referred to
only under the former part of this title by the Bishop of
Oxford, in his notice of * Bede ' in the same work (vol i.,
P- 303), but there is no reason for regarding this otherwise
than as a mistake.
The translation has been made as literal as possible in
passages where the exact rendering was of any contro-
versial or archaeological importance, as in the description
of sites and buildings ; but in some other cases greater
freedom has been used. There has been inserted as an
Appendix, at the suggestion of Sir Charles W. Wilson, the
rendering of some passages as given in Professor Willis'
' Holy Sepulchre.' Sir Charles Wilson has also contributed
some notes of special value, besides making several im-
portant suggestions as to the translation.
The text used is that of the Society de I'Orient Latin,
(Itinera et Descriptiones Terrae Sanctae Lingua Latina,
Saec. IV.-XI. Exarata, sumptibus Societatis Illustrandis
Orientis Latini Monumentis, edidit T. Tobler, Geneva, 1877,
i., pp. 139-240). The variations of the different MSS. have
PREFACE.
been noted when the sense was in any way affected, and
the readings of the Codex Caduinensis have been specially
noted. That MS. of the twelfth century gives a greatly
abbreviated text, with a few interesting additions. These
additions are always given, but the notice of the omissions
would have involved the preparation of a separate trans-
lation, which would have been without any gain. Tobler
has in a similar way appended to the text of Bede the
somewhat shorter text of the Codex Wirziburgensis, a
MS. of the ninth century, but in this case there are no such
additions to note.
The following are the MSS. used by Tobler:
ARCULFUS DE LOCIS SANCTIS.
L. British Museum, Cotton. Tib. D.V., folio, viii.-ix. cent.
B. Public Library of Brussels, 292, small quarto, ix. cent
Bern. Library of the City of Berne, 582, quarto, ix. cent.
P. National Library, Paris, Lat. 13048, ix. cent.
P. National Library of Paris, Lat. 12943, xi. cent.
G. Abbey of St. Gall, 320, small octavo, xii. cent.
C. Abbey of Caduinum, smallest folio, xii. cent.
V. Vatican Library, 636, A, folio, xiii. cent.
R. Library of Queen Christina (Rome), 618, xv. cent.
BEDA VENERABILIS DE LOCIS SANCTIS.
Ma. Public Royal Libraryof Monaco, 6389, quarto, ix. cent.
W. Library of the University of Wirtzburg, Mp. Th.
f. 74, folio, ix. cent.
Med. Ambrosian Library of Milan, x. cent.
Pa. National Library of Paris, Lat. 2321, x. cent.
Mb. Public Royal Library of Monaco, 13002, larger folio,
xii. cent.
Pb. National Library of Paris, Lat. 14797, xii. cent
XX PREFACE.
L. British Museum, Cotton. Faust. A., vii,, quarto,
xii.-xiii. cent.
O. Lincoln's College, Oxford, 96, xiii. cent.
Pc. National Library of Paris, Lat. 122] j, xv. cent.
References to Antoninus Martyr, the Bordeaux Pilgrim, the Abbot
Daniel, etc., are to the translations already published by this Society.
References to Dr. Reeves' works are to the edition of the ' Life of
St. Columba' published at the University Press, Dublin, for the Irish
Archaeological and Celtic Society, 1857.
J. R. M
ARCULFS NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN
INTRODUCTION.
In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, I am about to write a book concerning the Holy
Places.
Arculf, a holy bishop, a Gaul by nation, well acquainted
with many far distant lands, a truthful and right worthy
witness,! who dwelt in the city of Jerusalem for a space of
nine months, and examined the Holy Places by daily visits,
told me, Adamnan, all that is hereafter to be written, as I
sedulously asked him to tell me his experiences, which at
first I wrote down on tablets as he dictated in a faithful
and unimpeachable narrative, and now briefly inscribe upon
parchment [membranes].^
^ ' Judge,' B., F. 12943, C.
2 'This record is an important item in the history of writing, as
showing the collateral and respective uses among the Irish of waxed
tablets and membranes for literary purposes, towards the close of the
seventh century' (Reeves, p. Iviii.). Compare, pp. 5, 8; also, *I
noted down a brief but faithful abridgment of it in my tablets, which
I will now endeavour to commit succinctly to my parchment ' (Orderic,
quoted by Dean Church, 'St. Anselm,' 1888, p. 55). In the first
sentence, the word used for 'write' means literally * scratch,' denoting
the action of the stylus in wax.
1
ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
BOOK I.
I.— The Situation of Jerusalem, the Gates of
THE City, the Yearly Market, the Site of the
Temple, the Oratory of the Saracens, the
Great Houses.
As to the situation of Jerusalem, we shall now write a
few of the details that the sainted Arculf dictated to me,
Adamnan ; but what is found in the books of others as to
the position of that city, we shall pass over. In the great
circuit of its walls, Arculf counted eighty-four towers and
twice three gates, which are placed in the following ordei
in the circuit of the city : The Gate of David, on the west
side of Mount Sion, is reckoned first ; second, the Gate of
the Place of the Fuller^ ; third, the Gate of St. Stephen ;
1 The reading of C. in this passage is: 'Second, the Gate of the
Fuller's Road ; third, the Gate of St. Stephen, where he was stoned ;
fourth, the Gate of Benjamin ; fifth, a small gate, where one hastens
down by steps to the Valley of Josaphat ; sixth, the Gate Thecuitis.'
As to the position of these gates, see ' The City of Jerusalem,' p. 4.
I. The-Gate of David must have been close to the present Jaffa Gate.
Somewhat to the north of it, a wall was built across the northern brow
of Mount Sion to the eige of the cliff overhanging the causeway at
Wilson's Arch (cf Bord. Pil., p. 59). There was no gate in this wall, or
in the wall leading northwards from it. II. The ' Gate of the Place of
the Fuller ' must have been to the west of the Damascus Gate ; ' its name
" Porta Villse [Viae C] Fullonis " being so named from " the Highway
ofthe Fuller's Field" (Isaiah vii. 3). Villa is used in the sense of "field"
by the Bordeaux Pilgrim, "ubi positus est Joseph in villa quam dedit
ei Jacob " (p. 18). It also means " farm," " country house," or " place,"
as in the "Villa Pampati," "Villi Job," etc., ofthe Bordeaux Pilgrim ;
and the "Villa Publica" or "Place of Assembly" in the Campus
Martins' [C. W. W.]. It is the 'Postern of St. Lazarus' of the
Crusaders. III. The 'Gate of St. Stephen' is the present Damascus
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAM NAN, 3
fourth, the Gate of Benjamin ; fifth, a portlet, that is a
little gate, by which is the descent by steps to the Valley
of Josaphat ; sixth, the Gate Thecuitis.
This then is the order round the intervals between those
gates and towers : from the above-mentioned gate of
David it turns towards the northern part of the circuit,
and thence towards the east. But although six gates are
counted in the walls, yet of those the entries of three
gates are more commonly frequented ; one to the west,
another to the north, a third to the east ; while that
part of the walls with its interposed towers, which extends
from the above-mentioned Gate of David across the
northern brow of Mount Sion^ (which overhangs the city
from the south), as far as the face of that mountain which
looks eastwards, where the rock is precipitous, is proved to
have no gates.
But this too, it seems to me, should not be passed over,
which the sainted Arculf, formerly spoken of, told us as to
the honour of that city in Christ : On the fifteenth day of the
month of September yearly, an almost countless multitude
of various nations is in the habit of gathering from all sides
to Jerusalem for the purposes of commerce by mutual sale
and purchase. Whence it necessarily happens that crowds
of various nations stay in that hospitable city for some
days, while the very great number of their camels and
Gate, see Abbot Daniel, Appendix I. IV. The Gate of Benjamin is
the Bab ez Zahrah, or Herod's Gate, east of the Damascus Gate (now
closed). V. This Postern must have been near the Golden Gate
(closed) ; it is alluded to by Antoninus, p. 14. VI. The Gate Thecuitis
by which is probably meant the Gate of Tekoa (the ^Thecua' of St-
Paula, p. 10, now Khurbet Tekua), is now the Bab el Magharibeh, or
the Dung Gate, on the south wall towards the east. The names of
the gates have varied very greatly, and have been to a considerable
extent interchanged at different periods.
1 On the position of Sion, as accepted in the fourth and following
centuries, see Bord. Pil., Appendix IV., pp. 56-62.
1 — 2
flRCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
horses and asses, not to speak of mules and oxen, for their
varied^ baggage, strews the streets of the city here and
r-A" there with the abominations of their excrements : the
smell of which brings no ordinary nuisance to the citizens
and even makes walking difficult. Wonderful to say,
on the night after the above-mentioned day of departure
with the various beasts of burden of the crowds, an
immense abundance of rain falls from the clouds on that
city, which washes all the abominable filths from the
streets, and cleanses it from the uncleannesses. For the
very situation of Jerusalem, beginning from the northern
brow of Mount Sion, has been so disposed by its Founder,
God, on a lofty^ declivity, sloping down to the lower
ground of the northern and eastern walls that that over-
abundance of rain cannot settle at all in the streets, like
stagnant water, but rushes down, like rivers, from the
higher to the lower ground : and further this inundation of
the waters of heaven, flowing through the eastern gates,
and bearing with it all the filthy abominations, enters the
Valley of Josaphat and swells the torrent of Cedron :
and after having thus baptized Jerusalem, this over-
abundance of rain always ceases. Hence therefore we
must in no negligent manner note in what honour this
chosen and glorious city is held in the sight of the Eternal
Sire,3 Who does not permit it to remain longer filthy, but
because of the honour of His Only Begotten cleanses it so
quickly, since it has within the circuit of its walls the
honoured sites of His sacred Cross and Resurrection.
But in that renowned* place where once the Temple had
been magnificently constructed, placed in the neighbour-
hood of the wall from the east, the Saracens now frequent
a four-sided house of prayer, which they have built rudely,
1 ' Of the different carriers,' G. ^ * Slight ' in MSS. except L.
3 ' Judge and Sire/ B., V., R^ * ' Beautiful,' in some MSS.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. 5
constructing it by raising boards and great beams on some
remains of ruins : this house can, it is said, hold three
thousand men at once.
Arculf, when we asked him about the dwellings of that
city, answered : * I remember that I both saw and visited
many buildings of that city, and that I very often observed
a good many great houses^ of stone through the whole of
the large city, surrounded by walls, formed with marvellous
skill.' But all these we must now, I think, pass over, with
the exception of the structure of those buildings which
have been marvellously built in the Holy Places, those
namely of the Cross and the Resurrection : as to these we
asked Arculf very carefully, especially as to the Sepulchre
of the Lord and the Church constructed over it, the form
of which Arculf himself depicted for me on a tablet
covered with wax. 2
II. — The Round Church built above the Sepul-
chre OF the Lord.
And certainly this very great Church,^ the whole of
which is of stone, was formed of marvellous roundness in
every part, rising up from the foundations in three walls,
which have one roof at a lofty elevation,* having a broad
pathway between each wall and the next ; there are also
three altars in three dexterously formed places of the
middle wall.^ This round and very large church, with
the above-mentioned altars, looking one to the south,
another to the north, a third towards the west, is supported
1 * Domos grandest The phrase ' domus magna,' or ' major,' is used
by Adamnan in his 'Life of St. Columba' in the sense of 'monastery.'
(Reeves, p. 216 n.)
^ Compare p. i.
^ For Professor Willis' translation, see Appendix.
* 'Which . . . elevation ' in L. only.
^ ' In the middle of the wall,' G.
6 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
by twelve stone columns of marvellous size. It has twice
four gates, that is four entrances, through three firmly built
walls which break upon the pathways in a straight line, of
which four means of exit look to the north-east^ (which is
also called the * cecias' wind), while the other four look to
the south-east.
III. — The Form of the Sepulchre itself and its
Little Cabin.
In the middle of the interior of this round house is a
round cabin (tugurium)^ cut out in one and the same rock,
in which thrice^ three men can pray standing ; and from the
head of a man of ordinary stature as he stands, up to the
arch of that small house, a foot and a half is measured
upwards. The entrance of this little cabin looks to the east,
and the whole outside is covered with choice marble, while
its highest point is adorned with gold, and supports a golden
cross of no small size. In the northern part of this cabin
is the Sepulchre of the Lord, cut out in the same rock in
the inside, but the pavement of the cabin is lower than
the place of the Sepulchre; for from its pavement up to the
^ VuUurmis, variously explained as the north-east and as the south-
east wind ; here (and in Bede, p. 69) the former. Cecias is the Greek
jcmictag, 'the north-east wind. (The MSS. give the various readings
«calcias,' 'calceas,' 'hetias,' 'caluar.')
2 The words ' tugurium,' ' tuguriolum,' used here interchangeably (see
p. xvii.), are of frequent occurrence in Adamnan's Life of St. Columba,
used specially of the abbot's domus, or hospitium^ or hospitiolwn^ at
some distance from the huts of wattles or of wood in which the other
members of the community lived ; it was built of wood with joists,
and stood on an eminence ; here the founder sat and wrote, or read.
The other huts are often spoken of as cellules, the word used in de-
scribing the monastery on Mount Tabor, p. 46. The form teguriuni
of some MSS. is the Irish orthography (Reeves, pp. 360, 455). It is
difficult to find a suitable rendering for the word here. At Sir Charles
Wilson's suggestion, Professor Willis' translation, cabiji., has been
adopted. ^ ' Three,' Z?., Bern., G., C.
HOL Y PLACES, WRITTEN BY A DAMN AN,
edge of the side of the Sepulchre a measure^ of about three
palms is reckoned. So Arculf, who used often to visit the
Sepulchre of the Lord and measured it most accurately, told
me.
Here we must refer to the difference of names between
the Tomb and the Sepulchre ; for that round cabin
which we have often mentioned, the Evangelists called by
another name, the Tomb : they speak of the stone rolled to
its mouth, and rolled back from its mouth, when the Lord
rose. That place in the cabin is properly called the
Sepulchre, which is in the northern side of the Tomb, in which
the body of the Lord, when buried, rested, rolled in the
linen cloths : the length of which Arculf measured with his
own hand and found to be seven feet. Now this Sepulchre
is not, as some think, double, having a projection left from
the solid rock, parting and separating the two legs and the
two thighs, but is wholly single, affording a bed capable of
holding a man lying on his back from his head even to his
soles. It is in the manner of a cave, having its opening at
the side, and opposite^ the south part of the sepulchral
chamber. The low roof is artificially wrought above it. In
the Sepulchre there are further twelve lamps according to
the number^ of the twelve Apostles, always burning day
and night, four of which are placed down below in the
lowest part of the sepulchral bed, while the other twice
four are placed higher above its edge on the right hand ;
they shine brightly, being nourished with oil.
But it seems that this also should be noted, that the
Mausoleum or Sepulchre of the Saviour (that is, the often-
^ ' From knee ' or * thumb to ear,' B.^ V. C. reads, ' From the pave-
ment to the Sepulchre of the Lord where He lay, is a height of four
fingers.'
^ 'A cave having in the entrance an altar opposite,' L.
* ' Rule,' * names,' in some MSS.
S ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
mentioned cabin), may rightly be called a Grot or Cave,
concerning which, that is to say, concerning our Lord Jesus
Christ being buried in it, the prophet prophesied : ' He shall
dwell in a most lofty cave of a most strong rock.' ^ And
a little after, to gladden the Apostles, there is inserted
about the Resurrection of the Lord : * Ye shall see the King
with glory.' ^
The frontispiece shows, accordingly, the form of the
above-named church with the round little cabin placed
in its centre, in the northern side of which is the Sepulchre
of the Lord, and also the forms of the other three churches
about which we shall speak below.
We have drawn these figures of the four churches accord-
ing to the model which, as has been said above, the sainted
Arculf drew on a waxed tablet,^ not that a likeness of them
can be given in a drawing, but in order that the Tomb of
the Lord, be it in however poor a representation, may be
shown placed in the middle of the round church, and that
the church more properly belonging to this, or the one
placed further off, may be made clear.
IV. — The Stone that was rolled to the Mouth
OF THE Tomb, which the Angel of the Lord,
I>^.SCENDING FROM HeAVEN AFTER HlS RESUR-
RECTION, ROLLED BACK; THE ChAPEL, AND THE
Sepulchre.
Bat among these things, it seems that one ought to tell
briefly about the stone, mentioned above, which was rolled
to the mouth of the Tomb of the Lord, after the burial of
the crucified Lord slain* by many men : which, Arculf
relates, was broken and divided into two parts, the smaller
of which, rough hewn with tools, is seen placed as a square
Isaiah xxxiii. i6. ^ Ibid. v. 17.
See page i. * ' Betrayed ' in MSS. except Z.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. g
altar in the round church, described above, before the
mouth of that often-mentioned cabin, that is, the Lord's
Tomb ; while the larger part of that stone, equally hewn
around, stands fixed in the eastern part of that church as
another four-sided altar under linen cloths.
As to the colours of that rock, in which that often-
mentioned chapel was hollowed out by the tools of hewers,
which has, in its northern side, the Sepulchre of the Lord
cut out of one and the same rock in which is also the
Tomb, that is, the cabin, Arculf when questioned by
me, said : That Cabin of the Lord's Tomb is in no way
ornamented on the inside, and shows even to this day over
all its surface the traces of the tools, which the hewers or
excavators used in their work : the colour of that rock both
of the Tomb and of the Sepulchre is not one, but two
colours seem to have been intermingled, namely red and
white, whence also that rock appears two-coloured. But
as to these points let what has been said suffice.
v.— The Church of St. Mary which adjoins the
Round Church.
As to the buildings of the holy places, some few
details must be added. The four-sided Church of St. Mary,
the mother of the Lord, is adjoined on the right side by
that round church which has been so often mentioned
above, and which is also called the Anastasis, that is the
Resurrection, because it was built on the spot of the Lord's
Resurrection.
VI. — The Church that is built on the Site of
Calvary.
Another very large church, looking eastwards, has been
built on that place which, in Hebrew, is called Golgotha/
^ C. adds, 'but in Latin, Mount Calvary.'
lo ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
high up in which a great circular chandeher of brass with
lamps is hung by ropes, below which has been set up a
great cross of silver, fixed in the same spot where once
stood fixed the wooden Cross, on which suffered the Saviour
of the human race.
In the same church a cave has been cut out in the rock
below the site of the Cross of the Lord, where sacrifice is
offered on an altar for the souls of certain specially honoured
persons whose bodies are meanwhile placed lying in a court^
before the gate of that Church of Golgotha, until the holy
mysteries on their behalf are finished.
VII. — The Basilica which Constaxtine built close
TO THE ABOVE-NAMED CHURCH ON THE SpOT
WHERE THE CROSS OF THE LORD, WHICH HAD
BEEN BURIED IN RUINS, WAS FOUND, WHEN AFTER
MANY Centuries the Earth was dug up.
This four-sided church, built on the site of Calvary, is
adjoined on the east by the neighbouring stone Basilica,
constructed with great reverence by King Constantine
which is also called the Martyrium,^ built, as is said, on
that spot where the Cross of the Lord, which had been
hidden away under the earth, was found with the other
two crosses of the robbers, after a period of two hundred and
thirty-three years, by the permission of the Lord Himself.
VIIL — The Site of the Altar of Abraham.
Between these two churches lies that illustrious place
where the patriarch Abraham built an altar,^ laid on it the
1 ' Platea,' see next page, note i.
2 ' Monastery' in some MSS. ' Arculf appears to have applied to
the Basilica the name of "The Martyrium of the Resurrection," given
by Eusebius to the whole group of Constantine's buildings,' C. W. IV.
^ On 'The Altar of Abraham,' see Abbot Daniel, Appendix II.,
pi 96.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. ii
pile of wood, and seized the drawn sword to offer in
sacrifice his own son, Isaac : where is now a wooden table
of considerable size on which the alms of the poor are
offered by the people. This also the sainted Arculf added,
as I enquired of him more diligently : Between the Anastasis,
that is the round church we have often mentioned above,
and the Basilica of Constantine, lies a small square extend-
ing to the Church of Golgotha, where lamps burn always by
day and night.i
IX.— The Recess situated between the Church of
Calvary and the Basilica of Constantine, in
WHICH are kept the Cup of the Lord and the
Sponge from which, as He hung on the Tree,
He drank Vinegar and Wine.
Between that Basilica of Golgotha and the Martyrium^
there is a recess (exedra)^in which is the Cup of the
Lord, which He blessed and gave with His own hand to
the Apostles in the supper on the day before He suffered,
as He and they sat at meat with one another ; the cup is
of silver, holding the measure of a French quart,* and has
two little handles placed on it, one on each side. In this
cup also is the sponge which those who were crucifying
the Lord filled with vinegar and, putting it on hyssop, offered
^ C. reads, 'Between these churches is a small square covered with
marble, extending as far as the Basilica of Constantine and the Church
of Golgotha, which is extremely beautiful.' The word here rendered
'small square' is piateola^ 'a green' or ' a court' within the enclosure
of a Scotic monastery, surrounding or beside which were the lodgings
of the community (Reeves, p. 360).
2 'Testimony,' B., P. 12943, K, R.
^ 'Exedra' is a small chamber, or chapel, attached to the side of a
church; the 'cubiculum' or 'separatum conclave' of the Scotic
monastery. The Greek word (t^sSpa) is of frequent occurrence in
Josephus in reference to the Temple (Reeves, pp. 224, 444).
^ Sextarius, the sixth part of a congius, or gallon.
12 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
to His mouth. From the same cup, as is said, the Lord
drank after His Resurrection, as He sat at meat with the
apostles. The sainted Arculf saw it and touched it with
his own hand, and kissed it through the opening of the
perforated cover of the case within which it is concealed :
indeed, the whole people of the city resort greatly to this
cup with immense veneration.
X.— The Spear of the Soldier with wpiicii he
PIERCED the Side of the Lord.
Arculf also saw that spear of the soldier with which he
smote through the side of the Lord as He hung on the Cross.
The spear is fixed in a wooden cross in the portico of the
Basilica of Constantine, its shaft being broken into two
parts : and this also the whole city of Jerusalem resorts to,
kisses, and venerates.
XL— The Napkin with which the Head of the
Lord was covered in the Sepulchre.^
As to the sacred napkin which was placed upon the head^
of the Lord in the Sepulchre, we learn from the narrative
of the sainted Arculf, who inspected it with his own eyes.
The whole people of Jerusalem bear witness to the truth
of the narrative we now write. For on the testimony of
several faithful citizens of Jerusalem, the sainted Arculf
learned this statement which they very often repeated to him
as he listened attentively : A certain trustworthy believing
Jew, immediately after the Resurrection of the Lord, stole
from His Sepulchre the sacred linen cloth and hid it in his
house for many days; but, by the favour of the Lord Himself,
it was found after the lapse of many years, and was brought
^ C. places this chapter at the end of the first Book.
^ C. adds, 'and the body.'
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. 13
to the notice of the whole people about three years^ before
[this statement was made to Arculf J.'-^ That happy, faithful
thief, when at the point of death, sent for his two sons, and,
showing them the Lord's napkin, which he had at first
abstracted furtively, offered it to them, saying : ' My boys,
the choice is now given to you. Therefore let each of you
say which he rather wishes to choose, so that I may know
without doubt to which of you, according to his own
choice, I shall bequeathe all the substance I have, and
to which only this sacred napkin of the Lord.' On
hearing this, the one who wished to obtain all his sire's
wealth, received it from his father, according to a promise
made to him under the will. Marvellous to say, from that
day all his riches and all his patrimony, on account of
which he sold the Lord's napkin, began to decrease, and all
that he had was lost by various misfortunes and came to
nothing. While the other blessed son of the above-named
blessed thief, who chose the Lord's napkin in preference to
all his patrimony, from the day when he received it from
the hand of his dying sire, became, by the gift of God,
more and more rich in earthly substance, and was by no
means deprived of heavenly treasure. And thus this napkin
of the Lord was faithfully handed down as an heirloom
by the successive heirs of this thrice blessed man to their
believing sons in regular succession, even to the fifth
generation. But many years having now passed, believing
heirs of that kindred failed, after the fifth generation, and
the sacred linen cloth came into the hands of unbelieving
^ ' Three hundred' is suggested by various editors.
2 C reads, instead of next three sentences, * And when he was at the
point of death, he said to his two sons : My sons, who of you would
wish faithfully to receive the napkin of the Lord.? On hearing this,
the one who had received his sire's wealth according to his will,
received the napkin that has been spoken of, and sold it to his own
brother.'
14 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
Jews, who, while unworthy of such an office, yet embraced
it honourably and, by the gift of the Divine bounty, were
greatly enriched with very diverse riches. But an accurate
narrative about the Lord's napkin having spread among the
people, the believing Jews began to contend bravely with
the unbelieving Jews about the sacred linen cloth, desiring
with all their might to obtain possession of it, and the strife
that arose divided the common people of Jerusalem into two
parties, the faithful believers and the faithless unbelievers.
Upon this, Mavias,! the King of the Saracens, was
appealed to by both parties to adjudicate between them, and
he said to the unbelieving Jews who were persistently re-
taining the Lord's napkin •? * Give the sacred linen cloth
which you have into my hand.' In obedience to the king's
command, they bring it from its casket and place it in
his bosom. Receiving it with great reverence, the king
ordered a great fire to be made in the square before all the
people, and while it was burning fiercely, he rose, and
going up to the fire, addressed both contending parties in
a loud voice : ' Now let Christ, the Saviour of the world,
who suffered for the human race, upon whose head this
napkin, which I now hold in my bosom, and as to which
you are now contending, was placed in the Sepulchre, judge
between you by the flame of fire, so that you may know
to which of these two contending hosts this great gift may
most worthily be entrusted.' Saying this, he threw the
sacred napkin of the Lord into the flames, but the fire
could in no way touch it, for, rising whole and untouched
from the fire, it began to fly on high, like a bird with out-
1 Z., ' Mavius ;' others ^ ' Majuvias,' 'Navias ;' C, 'Nauvias.' Muavia,
the founder of the Omeyyad dynasty, Caliph of Syria, A.D. 658 ; sole
Caliph, 66i ; died, 680.
2 ' In the sight of the Christian Jews who were present,' K, /?.,
P. J 2943.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. 15
spread wings, and looking down from a great height on the
two contending parties, placed opposite one another as if
they were two armies in battle array, it flew round in
mid air for some moments ; then slowly descending, under
the guidance of God, it inclined towards the party of the
Christians, who meanwhile prayed earnestly to Christ, the
Judge, and finally it settled in their bosom. Raising their
hands to heaven, and bending the knee with great gladness,
they give thanks to God and receive the Lord's napkin
with great honour, a gift to be venerated as sent to them
from heaven ; they render praises in their hymns -to Christ,
who gave it, and they cover it up in another linen cloth
and put it away in a casket of the church.
Our brother Arculf saw it one day taken out of the
casket, and amid the multitude of the people that kissed it,
he himself kissed it in an assembly of the church; it
measures about eight feet^ in length.^ As to it let what has
been said suffice.
1 ' Cubits ' in some MSS.
2 On the margin of C. there is added in the handwriting of the
fifteenth century : ' But afterwards it came into the possession of the
Bishop of Anicia, who had made a voyage in the districts beyond the
sea ; and he, dying there, gave it to one who was his priest. This
priest also died as he was crossing the sea, leaving the precious gift to
a cleric who served him. He, when he was in the country of Petragora,
where he was born, placed the napkin of the Lord in a church which
was recommended to him, near Caduinum. And not long after he
had left the church one day, a fire broke out in a [the nearest] farm
and also in that church, and burned whatever it found ; but it did not
touch the casket in which the napkin was preserved, and which was
near the altar. On hearing this, some of the brothers, who were lately
staying at Caduinum, hastened thither, and when they had found the
casket, they broke it by force, and, taking the " barletum," where the
napkin of the Lord was, they brought it with them very quickly and
deposited it in their own monastery about the year of the Lord 15 12.
But the cleric, not finding the treasure, went on to Caduinum, and
when he cculd not recover it, he put on the monk's habit, and as long
as he lived, he guarded there what he had formerly possessed.'
i6 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
XII. — Another Sacred Linen Cloth which, as is
SAID, St. Mary the Virgin, the Mother of the
Lord, wove.
Arculf saw also in that city of Jerusalem another linen
cloth of larger size, which, as is said, St. Mary wove, and
which, on that account, is held in great reverence in the
Church and by all the people. In this linen cloth the
forms of the twelve Apostles are woven, and the likeness
of the Lord Himself is figured ; one side of the linen cloth
is of red colour, while the opposite side is green. -^
XIII. — The Lofty Column situated on the Spot
WHERE A Dead Young Man came to Life again,
WHEN THE Cross of the Lord was placed on
HIM ; AND THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD.
We must speak briefly about a very lofty column, stand-
ing in the middle of the city, which meets one coming
from the sacred places northwards. This column is set up
on that spot where a dead young man came to life again
when the Cross of the Lord was placed on him, and mar-
vellously in the summer solstice at mid-day, when the sun
comes to the centre of the heaven, it casts no shadow ; for
when the solstice is passed, which is the 24th^ of June, after
three days, as the day gradually lessens, it first casts a
short shadow, then a longer one as the days pass. Thus
this column, which the brightness of the sun in the summer
solstice at mid-day, as it stands in the centre of the
heaven,^ shining straight down from above, shines upon all
round from every quarter, proves that the city of Jerusalem
is situated in the middle of the earth. Whence also the
Psalmist, prophesying on account of the sacred sites of the
^ ' Of the colour of green herbs,' B.^ P. 12943.
' ' 23rd,' L. 3 . poie^^ 2^^^ p^ J2943, v., R.
HOL V PLACES, WRITTEN B V ADAMNAN. 17
Passion and the Resurrection which are contained within
that iElia, sings : * But God, our King, before the ages has
wrought salvation in the midst of the earth,'^ that is, in
Jerusalem, which, being in the middle, is also called the
navel of the earth.2
XIV.— The Church of St. Mary built IiN" the
Valley of Josaphat, in which is her Tomb.
That sedulous visitor of the Holy Places, the sainted
Arculf, visited the Church of St. Mary,^ in the Valley of
Josaphat, which is built in two stories, the lower of these
being a round structure, under a marvellous stone roof,
with an altar in its eastern part, while on the right side of
it is the empty stone sepulchre of St. Mary, in which for
a time she rested after her burial."* But how or when or
by whom her sacred body was raised from that sepulchre,
or where it awaits the Resurrection, it is said that no
one knows certainly.^ Those who enter this lower round
Church of St. Mary see inserted, on the right of the wall,
that stone above which, on the night when He was betrayed
by Judas into the hands of sinful men, the Lord prayed in
the field of Gethsemane, on bended knees, before the hour
of His betrayal : and in this rock are seen the marks of
His two knees, as if they had been very deeply impressed
in the softest wax. Thus we were informed by our
brother, the sainted Arculf, the visitor of the holy places,
who with his own eyes saw what we describe. In the
upper Church of St. Mary, which is also round, there are
shown to be four altars.
^ Psalm Ixxiv. 12.
2 Compare Abbot Daniel, pp. 13, 96 ; Quarterly Statement, October,
1888, pp. 260 flf.
^ Compare Ant. Mar., p. 14 ; Abbot Daniel, p. 23 ; Mukaddasi, p. 49.
" B. adds, ' and belongs to the saints.'
^ ' As Jerome relates,' C, P. 12943.
2
l8 ARCULFS NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
XV. — The Tower of Josaphat built in the same
Valley.
In the same valley that has been nnentioned above, not
far from the Church of St. Mary, is shown the Tower of
Josaphat, in which his sepulchre is seen.
XVI. — The Tombs of Simeon and Joseph.
Thisi little tower is joined on the right hand by a stone
house, cut out of the rock and separated from the Mount
of Olivet, within which are shown two sepulchres cut out
with iron tools, destitute of ornament. One of tliese is
that of Simeon, the just man, who, having embraced the
little Infant, the Lord Jesus, in the Temple in both his
hands, prophesied about Him. The other is that of Joseph,
the spouse of St. Mary, and the upbringer of the Lord Jesus.
XVII. — The Cave in the Rock of the Mount of
Olivet, across the Valley of Josaphat, in
WHICH are Four Tables and two Wells.^
In the side of the Mount of Olivet is a cave, not far
from the Church of St. Mary, placed on the higher ground
across the Valley of Josaphat, having in it two very deep
wells, one of which descends to a great depth under the
mountain.^ while the other is in the pavement of the cave,
its immense cavity being, as is said, directed in a straight
course, descending into the depth ; these two wells are
always closed. In the same cave are four stone tables, of
1 C. omits XV. and reads, * Thence, not far from the Church of St.
Mary, in which her sepulchre is seen, in that same Valley of Josaphat,
is a little tower of stone, which is joined on its right side [?], cut out
of the rock,' etc.
2 ' The cave of the two w^Us,' L., P. 13048.
^ G.; other MSS. read, 'is extended to a great distance at a pro-
found depth.' C. has this reading, but adds, ' under the mountain.'
HOL V PLACES, WRITTEN B V AD AMMAN. 19
which the one nearest the entrance of the cave on the
inside is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, His seat beyond
doubt adjoining His Httle table ; here He was in the habit
sometimes of sitting at meat with His twelve Apostles,
who at the same time sat at the other tables in the same
place. The closed mouth of the well, referred to above as
being in the pavement of the cave, is shown to belong
especially to the tables of the Apostles. The little door-
way of this cave is closed by a wooden gate, as the sainted
Arculf, who so often visited that cave of the Lord, relates.
XVHL — The Gate of David and the Place where
Judas Iscarioth hanged himself by a Rope.
The Gate of David adjoins a slight rising of Mount Sion
on the west. Those going out of the city through it, leav-
ing the Gate and Mount Sion next their left hand, come to
a stone bridge,^ directed for some distance in a straight line
across the valley to the south, raised on arches,^ close to the
middle of which, on the west side, is the spot where Judas
of Iscarioth, driven by despair, hanged himself by a rope.'
There is still shown here to this day a fig-tree of large
size, from the top of which, as is said, Judas hung in a
halter, as Juvencus,* a versifying presbyter, has sung :
' From fig-tree top he snatched a shapeless death.'
^ ' Fountain ' in some MSB.
2 C. adds, ' It is through this gate that one leaves Jerusalem for the
city of Samuel, which is called Ramatha, and for Cesarea of Palestine,
as well as for Gaza.'
3 Compare Bord. PH., p. 24, Ant., Mar., p. 15. The spot alluded to
must be in Wady Rababeh.
"^ C. Vettius Aquilinus Juvencus, a Spaniard by birth, the author of
a Historica Evangelica, * an hexameter poem on our Lord's life, based
upon the Gospels,' 'the first Christian epic' (See Smith's Diet, of
Christian Biog., vol. iii., pp. 598 f.)
2 — 2
20
ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
XIX. — The Form of the Great Basilica built on
Mount Sion, and the Situation of that
Mountain.
Mention was made of Mount Sion a little above, and
here a short and succinct notice must be inserted of a
great Basilica constructed there, a drawing of which is
given here :
Tht-LctrdJs SvLjrpcr
SpiriJbdjRSi
CTV Ow JpostLes
Cohunzv ijOMkuJo
Ove^Lardb wols haunjob
li^ &
Here^S^Nkry dit^
'"Rotkupcw
wJdcJbStepltav
WCUSStUTVUt
PLAN OF THE BASILICA ON MOUNT SION, SHOWING THE SITES ON
THE SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAIN.
Here is shown the rock upon which Stephen, being
stoned without the city, fell asleep. Beyond the great
church described above, which embraces within its walls
such holy places, there stands another memorable rock, on
the west side of that on which, as is said, Stephen was stoned.^
This Apostolical Church, as is said above, was built of
stone on a level surface in the higher ground of Mount Sion.^
1 L.J- other MSS. read, 'the Lord was scourged.'
2 C. reads for XIX., 'After this the sainted Arculf writes of that
place where the Lord supped with His disciples, and where the Holy-
Spirit descended upon the Apostles on the holy day of Pentecost,
where he says that a great church has been constructed on the top of
Mount Sion, which is called the Apostles' Church. There is seen there
the column where the Lord was scourged, and there is also shown
there the rock on which St. Stephen was stoned ; to the west there is
another church, where the Lord was tried in the Pretorium of Pilate.
Now we shall speak of the Mount of Olivet,' chap. 22. As to the tradi-
tions connected with the scenes of St. Stephen's martyrdom, burial,
etc., see Abbot Daniel, Appendix L, pp. 83-90. As to the Church,
see ih'd, pp. 36, 27-
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAM NAN. 21
XX. — The Little Field called in Hebrew Akel-
DEMAC.
This small field,^ which is situated towards the southern
quarter of Mount Sion, was often visited by our Arculf ; it
has a stone boundary-wall, and in it a considerable number
of pilgrims 2 are very carefully interred, while others are
left unburied very carelessly, merely covered with rags or
skins, and so, lying on the ground, putrefy.
XXI. — The Rough and Rocky Ground that extends
far and wide, from jerusalem to the city of
Samuel, and to Cesarea of Palestine towards
THE West.
From ^lia northwards to the City of Samuel, which is
called Armathem,^ the ground is rocky and rough, in which,
however, there are intervening spaces, thorny valleys also
lying up to the Tanitic region. Another description of
country is seen from the above-named ^lia and Mount Sion
westwards extending to Cesarea of Palestine ; for though
there maybe at intervals some narrow, small, rough places,
yet for the most part wider downs are met with, enlivened
by olive groves scattered over them.
XXII.— The Mount of Olivet, its Height, and the
Character of its Soil.
Other kinds of trees than the vine and the olive can, as
Arculf relates, rarely be found on the Mount of Olivet,
while very fine crops of corn and barley are raised on it.
^ Compare, Ant. Mar., p. 22 ; Abbot Daniel, p. -^^Z ; City of
Jerusalem, p. 20.
2 ' Pereo^rinus ' in Adamnan signifies * pilgrim' (Reeves, Glossary).
Cf. Todd's ' St. Patrick,' p. 261.
^'Armachim,' 'Ramathas,' in some MSS. The present Nebl
Samwil, on the right of the old. northerly road from Jaffa to Jerusalem,
22 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
For the character of that soil is shown not to be adapted
for trees, but for grass and flowers. Its height, moreover,
seems to be equal to that of Mount Sion,^ although Mount
Sion seems small and narrow when compared to the Mount
of Olivet as regards its geometrical dimensions — namely,
breadth and length. In the middle, between these two
mountains, lies the Valley of Josaphat, of which we
spoke above, stretching from north to south.
XXI 1 1.— The Place of the Ascension of the Lord
AND THE Church built on it.
On the whole Mount of Olivet there seems to be no spot
higher than that from which the Lord is said to have
ascended into the heavens, where there stands a great
round church, having in its circuit three vaulted porticoes
covered over above. The interior of the church, without
roof or vault, lies open to heaven under the open air,
having in its eastern side an altar protected under a narrow
covering. So that in this way the interior has no vault,^ in
order that from the place where the Divine footprints are
last seen,^ when the Lord was carried up into heaven in a
cloud, the way may be always open and free to the eyes of
those who pray towards heaven.^
For when this basilica, of which I have now made
slight mention, was building, that place of the footprints
of the Lord, as we find written elsewhere, could not be
^ The summit of Mount Olivet is 2,693 ^"^et above the sea-level ; that
of Mount Sion 2,550 feet.
2 G.^ other MSS. read, 'placed over it.' Compare Abbot Daniel, p. 25.
3 Z., other MSS. read, 'last stood.'
^ C, having given this paragraph in an abbreviated form, adds only,
' In the pavement whence He ascended, His sacred footprints are
seen to have been impressed.' The footprint of Christ is still shown
on Mount Olivet, 'City of Jerusalem,' p. 40.
I
HOL Y PLA CES, WRITTEN BY ADA MNA X. 23
enclosed under the covering^ with the rest of the buildings.
Whatever was applied, the unaccustomed earth, refusing to
receive anything human, cast back into the face of those
who brought it. And, moreover, the mark of the dust that
was trodden by the Lord is so lasting that the impression
of the footsteps may be perceived ; and although the faith
of such as gather daily at the spot snatches away some of
what was trodden by the Lord, yet the area perceives no
loss, and the ground still retains that same appearance of
being marked by the impress of footsteps.
Further, as the sainted Arculf, who carefully visited this
spot, relates, a brass hollow cylinder of large circumference,
flattened on the top, has been placed here, its height
being shown by measurement to reach one's neck.^ In the
centre of it is an opening of some size, through which the
uncovered marks of the feet of the Lord are plainly and
clearly seen from above, impressed in the dust. In that
cylinder there is, in the western side, as it were, a door ; so
that any entering by it can easily approach the place of
the sacred dust, and through the open hole in the wheel
may take up in their outstretched hands some particles of
the sacred dust.
Thus the narrative of our Arculf as to the footprints of
the Lord quite accords with the writings of others — to the
effect that they could not be covered in any way, whether
by the roof of the house or by any special lower and closer
covering ; so that they can always be seen by all that enter,
and the marks of the feet of the Lord can be clearly seen
depicted in the dust of that place. For these footprints of
the Lord are lighted by the brightness of an immense lamp
hanging on pulleys above that cylinder in the church, and
burning day and night.
Further in the western side of the round church we have
* ' Pavement ' in MSS. ^ . j^^^^^j , -^^ ^^^^^ MSS.
24 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
mentioned above, twice four windows have been formed
high up with glazed shutters, and in these windows there
burn as many lamps placed opposite them, within and close
to them. These lamps hang in chains, and are so placed
that each lamp may hang neither higher nor lower, but
may be seen, as it were, fixed to its own window, opposite
and close to which it is specially seen. The brightness of
these lamps is so great^ that, as their light is copiously poured
through the glass from the summit of the Mountain of
Olivet, not only is the part of the mountain nearest the
round^ basilica to the^west illuminated, but also the lofty
path which rises by steps up to the city of Jerusalem from
the Valley of Josaphat, is clearly illuminated in a wonderful
manner, even on dark nights ; while the greater part of the
city that lies nearest at hand on the opposite side is simi-
larly illuminated by the same brightness. The effect of
this brilliant and admirable coruscation of the eight great
lamps shining by night from the holy mountain and from
the site of the Lord's ascension, as Arculf related, is to
pour into the hearts of the believing onlookers a greater
eagerness^ of the Divine love, and to strike the mind with
a certain fear along with vast inward compunction.
This also Arculf related to me about the same round
church : That on the anniversary of the Lord's Ascension,
at mid-day, after the solemnities of the Mass have been
celebrated in that basilica, a most violent tempest of wind
comes on regularly every year, so that no one can stand or
sit in that church or in the neighbouring places, but all lie
prostrate in prayer with their faces in the ground until that
terrible tempest has passed.
The result of this terrific blast is that that part of the house
cannot be vaulted over ; so that above the spot where the
•* Compare St. Paula, p. lo. " ' Stone' in some MSS.
* K, R.^ E.dd, 'or clearness.'
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN.
25
footsteps of the Lord are impressed and are clearly shown,
within the opening in the centre of the above-named
cylinder, the way always appears open to heaven. For the
blast of the above-mentioned wind destroyed, in accordance
with the Divine will, whatever materials had been gathered
for preparing a vault above it, if any human art made the
attempt.
This account of this dreadful storm was given to us by
the sainted Arculf, who was himself present in that Church
of Mount Olivet at the very hour of the day of the Lord's
Ascension when that fierce storm arose.
A drawing of this round church is shown below, however
unworthily it may have been drawn ; while the form of the
brass cylinder is also shown placed in the middle of the
church.
PLAN OF THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION.
This also we learned from the narrative of the sainted
Arculf: That in that round church, besides the usual light
of the eight lamps mentioned above as shining within the
church by night, there are usually added on the night of
the Lord's Ascension almost innumerable other lamps,
which by their terrible and admirable brightness, poured
26 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
abundantly through the glass of the windows, not only
illuminate the Mount of Olivet, but make it seem to be
wholly on fire ; while the whole city and the places in the
neighbourhood are also lit up.
XXIV. — The Sepulchre of Lazarus and the Church
BUn.T ABOVE IT, AND THE ADJOINING MONASTERY.
Arculf, the visitor of the above-mentioned holy places,
visited a little plain at Bethany, surrounded by a great
wood of olives, where there are a great monastery and a
great basilica built over the cave from which the Lord
recalled Lazarus to life after he had been dead four
days.
XXV.— -Another Church built to the Right of
Bethany.
As to another more celebrated church built towards the
southern side of Bethany, on that spot of the Mount of
Olivet where the Lord is said to have addressed the dis-
ciples, I think that we must write briefly.
Hence we must carefully inquire what address and at
what time or to what special individuals of His disciples
the Lord spoke.^ These three questions, if we will open
the writings of the three EvangeHsts, Matthew, Mark, and
Luke, will be clearly answered, for the Evangelists speak of
the character of the address in complete narmony with one
another. As to the place of that meeting, no one can have
any doubt, or as to the address and the place, who will
read Matthew speaking about the Lord: *And as He sat
upon the Mount of Olivet, the disciples came to Him pri-
vately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be ? and what
1 C. reads, 'And although three Evangelists describe His address,
which He then gave to the disciples, yet Matthew writes about it more
specially : "And as He sat," etc'
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAM NAN, 27
shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the consummation of
the age ?' (St. Matt. xxiv. 3). As to the persons who asked
Him, Matthew has kept silence ; but Mark has not, and he
tells us : * Peter and James and John and Andrew asked
Him privately' (St. Mark xiii. 3) — in reply to whose question
He delivered the address referred to by the three Evan-
gelists we have mentioned above, of which the character is
shown in His words : 'Take heed lest any man deceive you.
For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ ' (St.
Mark xiii. 5, 6) and the rest that follows as to the last times
and the consummation of the age, which Matthew records at
great length, down to the place where the same Evangelist
clearly shows the time of this lengthened address, as he
mentions the words of the Lord : ' And it came to pass,
when Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said to His
disciples, Ye know that after two days is the Passover, and
the Son of Man shall be betrayed to be crucified,' etc.
(St. Matt. xxvi. I, 2). It is thus shown distinctly that
it was on the fourth day of the week, when two days
remained to the first day of the Unleavened Bread, which
is called the Passover, that the Lord delivered the length-
ened address mentioned above, in answer to the question of
the four above-named disciples. On the place where the
address was given a church was founded in its memory,
which is held in great honour.
Let it suffice to have thus far described the holy places
of the city of Jerusalem, and Mount Sion, and the Mount
of Olivet, and the Valley of Josaphat, which lies between
these mountains, in accordance with the accurate narrative
of the sainted Arculf, the visitor of those places.
28 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
BOOK II.
I.— The Situation ofi Bethlehem.
In the beginning of this Second Book we shall briefly
write a few notes about the situation of the city of Beth-
lehem,'^ which our Saviour thought worthy to be the place
where He should be born of the Holy Virgin. This city,
according to the narrative of Arculf who visited it, is not so
remarkable for situation as for its glorious fame, which has
been published throughout the churches of all nations;
it is situated on the narrow ridge of a mountain, sur-
rounded on all sides by valleys, the ridge of ground
stretching from east to west for about a mile ; round the
level plain on the top of it is a low wall without towers,^
built right round the brow of that little mountain, which
overhangs the little valleys lying around on both sides,
while the dwellings of the citizens are scattered over the
intervening ground within the wall, along the longer dia-
meter.
n.— The Place of the Nativity of the Lord, the
Church of St. Mary.
In the extreme eastern angle of this city is a sort of
natural half cave,^ the extremity of the interior of which is
the Manger of the Lord, in which His mother laid the new-
born babe ; while another, contiguous to the manger we
have just mentioned,^ is shown to such as enter, as being the
^ ' Of the district of Jerusalem ; that is, Bethlehem,' K, R.
^ C. reads, 'about Bethlehem, which is the district of Jerusalem.'
3 Compare Abbot Daniel, p. 40. * C. omits 'half.'
^ C. inserts, ' where a Httle house has been constructed of stone.'
HOL Y PLA CES, WRITTEN B Y ADAM NAN, 29
traditional site of His real nativity. The whole of this
cave of the Manger of the Lord at Bethlehem has been
adorned on the inside with precious marblcj in honour of
the Saviour, while in the half cave, above the stone
chamber, there has been built the Church of St. Mary,
above the place where the Lord is said to have been
actually born, which is a grand structure.
IIL— The Rock situated beyond the Wall, upon
WHICH the Water, in which He was first
WASHED AFTER HiS BiRTII, WAS POURED.
Here I think I must briefly mention the rock lying
beyond the wall, upon which the water of the first bathing
of the Lord's body after His birth, was poured from the
top of the wall out of the vessel into which it had been
put. This water of the sacred bath, poured from the wall,
found a receptacle in a rock lying below, which had been
hollowed out by nature like a trench : and this water has
been constantly replenished from that day to our own time
during the course of many ages, so that the cavity is shown
full of the purest water without any loss or diminution, our
Saviour miraculously bringing this about from the day of
His nativity, of which the prophet sings : * Who brought
water out of the rock ;^i and the Apostle Paul, * Now that
Rock was Christ,''^ who, contrary to nature, brought water
or a stream out of the hardest rock in the desert to console
His thirsting people.^ Such is the power of God and the
wisdom of God, who brought out water also from that rock
of Bethlehem and keeps its cavity always full of water :
this our Arculf inspected with his own eyes, and he washed
his face in it.
^ Isaiah xlviii. 21. * i Cor. x. 4.
30 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE.' ABOUT THE
IV. — Another Church in which the Tomb of
David is seen.
Arculf, when I asked him about the Sepulchre of King
David/ gave us this answer : I myself inquired very care-
fully about the Sepulchre of King David, in which he was
buried in the earth, and visited it. It lies in the middle^ of
the pavement of the church, without any overlying orna-
ment, surrounded only by a low fence^ of stone, and having
a lamp shining brightly placed over it.
This church is built outside the wall of the city in an
adjoining valley, which joins the Hill of Bethlehem on the
north.
V. — The Church within which is the Sepulchre
OF St. Hieronymus [Jerome].
As we inquired with like solicitude as to the Sepulchre
of St. Hieronymus,* Arculf told us : I saw the Sepulchre of
Hieronymus, as to which you inquire, which is in a church
built in a valley beyond that little city,^ which is con-
terminous with the ridge of the Hill of Bethlehem, men-
tioned above, and lies to the south of it. This Sepulchre
of St. Hieronymus is of similar workmanship to the Tomb
of David, and is unornamented.
VI. — The Tombs of the Three Shepherds, around
whom, when the lord was born, the heavenly
Brightness shone; and their Church.
Arculf gave us a short account of the tombs of those
shepherds, around whom, on the night of the Lord's
^ Compare Ant. Mar., p. 23 ; Bord. Pil., p. 27.
^ C. reads, ' south.'
3 ' Pyramis' here, and p. 31, has apparently the meaning of a * square
fence.' See Reeves, p. 452.
"* Compare Ant. Mar., p. 23. ^ C. omits 'little.'
HOL V PLACES, WRITTEN B V ADAMNA .V. 31
Nativity, the heavenly brightness shone : I visited, he said,
the three tombs of those three shepherds who are buried in a
church near the Tower of Gader,^ which is about a mile to
the east of Bethlehem, whom, when the Lord was born,
the brightness of the angelic light^ surrounded at that place,
that is near the Tower of the Flock ; where that church has
been built, containing the sepulchres of those shepherds.
VII.— Tpie Sepulchre of Rachel.
The Book of Genesis relates that Rachel was buried in
Ephrata, that is, in the district of Bethlehem, and the
' Book of Places ' relates that Rachel was buried in that
district close to the road. In answer to my questions
about this road, Arculf said : There is a royal road which
leads from -^lia southwards to Hebron, close to which,
six^ miles from Jerusalem, is Bethlehem on the east, while
the Sepulchre of Rachel is at the end of this road on the
west, that is, on one's right hand as one goes to Hebron ; it
is a building of common workmanship and without orna-
mentation, surrounded by a stone fence.* There is shown
even at the present day the inscription with her name,
which Jacob, her husband, erected above it.^
VIIL— Hebron.
Hebron, which is also Mambre, was once the metropolis
of the Philistines and inhabited by giants ; David reigned
in it for seven years, and, as the sainted Arculf relates, it
is not now surrounded by walls. Some traces of the city,
which was long ago destroyed, appear in remnants of ruins ;
but it has some poorly built villages, fields, and farm-
houses, some lying within, others without, those remains
^ C. reads, 'Ader.' So St. Paula, p. 8. It is now known as Beit
Sahiir. Compare Abbot Daniel, p. 42.
^ 'Voice,' B., C. 3 C. reads, ' five.' * See p. 30, note 3.
° A monument at this spot is constantly spoken of from A.D. 22)>
32 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
of the destroyed walls, scattered over the surface of the
plain, while a multitude of people live in those villages and
farms.
IX. — The Valley of Mambre, and the Sepulchre
OF THE Four Patriarchs.
To the east of Hebron is a field with a double cave,
looking towards Mambre, which Abraham bought from
Ephron the Hittite, for a possession of a double sepulchre.^
In the valley of this field the sainted Arculf visited the
site of the Sepulchre of Arba, that is, of the four patriarchs,
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Adam, the first man,
whose feet are not, as is customary in other parts of the
world, turned towards the east in burial, but are turned to
the south, and their heads to the north. The site of these
sepulchres is surrounded by a low rectangular^ wall. Adam,
the first created, to whom, when he sinned, immediately after
the sin was committed, God the Creator said : 'Dust thou art,
and to the dust thou shalt return,'^ is separated somewhat
from the other three, next the northern side of the rectan-
gular stone rampart, buried not in a stone sepulchre cut out
in the rock above ground, as other honoured men of his
seed lie, but buried in the ground, covered with earth, and
himself, dust, turned into dust, rests waiting the resurrec-
tion with all his seed. And thus ia that sepulchre is ful-
filled the divine sentence uttered to him as to himself.*
1 B., v., R.J add, ' which are not seen above the ground, but there
are thought to be twin sepulchres under the ground.' A description of
the Haram enclosure at Hebron is given by Capt. Conder in P. F. M.,
IIL, pp. 333-346, and by the late Dean Stanley, 'Jewish Church,' Vol. L,
Appendix IL, pp. 416-437 (London, 1877). Compare Ant. Mar., p. 24 ;
Abbot Daniel, p. 45 ; 'Journey through Syria and Palestine,' pp. 53 ff.
2 'Quadrate' appears here to be used for 'quadrangulo,' the real
shape of the enclosure not being square. ^ Gen. iii. 19.
^ ' Because he was buried in ihe earth,' B., F., R.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. 33
And after the example of the Sepulchre of the first
parent, the other three Patriarchs also rest in sleep covered
with common dust, their four Sepulchres having placed above
them small monuments, cut out and hewn from single
stones, in the form of a basilica, and formed according to
the measure of the length and the breadth of each
Sepulchre. The three adjoining Sepulchres of Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob are protected by three hard white
stones, placed over them, formed according to the shape of
which we have now written, as has been said above ;
while Adam's Sepulchre is also protected by a stone placed
over it, but of darker colour and poorer workmanship.
Arculf saw also the poorer and smaller monuments of the
three women, namely Sara, and Rebecca, and Lia, buried
in the earth. The sepulchral field of those patriarchs is
found to be one furlong from the wall of that most ancient
Hebron, towards the east. This Hebron, it is said, was
founded before all the cities, not only of Palestine, but also
preceded in its foundation all the cities of Egypt, although
it has now been so miserably destroyed.
Thus far let it suffice to have written as to the
Sepulchres of the Patriarchs.
X. — The Hill and the Oak of Mambre.
A mile to the north of the Tombs that have been
described above, is the very grassy and flowery hill of
Mambre, looking towards Hebron, which lies to the south
of it. This little mountain, which is called Mambre, has
a level summit, at the north side of which a great stone
church has been built, in the right side of which between
the two walls of this great Basilica, the Oak of Mambre,
^ The Oak or Terebinth of Abraham has been shown in two different
sites. Arculf and many others (Jerome, Itin. Hierosol., Sozomen,
Eucherius, Benjamin of Tudela, the Abbot Daniel, p. 43, etc.) seem
3
34 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
wonderful to relate, stands rooted in the earth ; it is also
called the oak of Abraham, because under it he once
hospitably received the Angels. St. Hieronymus elsewhere
relates, that this tree had existed from the beginning of
the world to the reign of the Emperor Constantine ; but
he did not say that it had utterly perished, perhaps because
at that time, although the whole of that vast tree was not
to be seen as it had been formerly, yet a spurious trunk
still remained rooted in the ground, protected under the
roof .of the church, of the height of two men ; from this
wasted spurious trunk, which has been cut on all sides by
axes, small chips are carried to the different provinces of the
world, on account of the veneration and memory of that
oak, under which, as has been mentioned above, that famous
and notable visit of the Angels was granted to the patriarch
Abraham. Around the church, which is built there in
honour of that place, a few dwellings of monks are shown.
But as to these, let it suffice to have said this ; let us go on
to other points.
XI. — The Pine-forest from which Firewood is
BROUGHT TO JERUSALEM ON CAMELS.
As we leave Hebron, we come, at a distance of three
miles, to the north of the city, and in a wide plain not far
from the side of the road on the left hand, to a hill of no
great size covered with pines. From this pine forest, wood
is carried to Jerusalem on camels for burning in fires — on
camels, I say, for, as Arculf relates, carts or waggons can
rarely be found throughout all Judaea.
to point to the ruin of er Rameh, near which is Beit el Khulil, or
Abraham's House, with a fine spring-well. This is still held by the
Jews to be the Oak of Mamre. The Christians point to another site,
Ballutet Sebta, where is a fine specimen of Sindian (Quercus Pseudo-
coccifera).
HOLY PLACES, WRLTTEN BY ADAM NAN. 35
XII. — Jertcho.
Our sainted Arculf saw the site of the city of Jericho,
which Joshua destroyed, after crossing the Jordan, slaying
its king, in the place of which HieU of Bethel, of the tribe of
Ephraim, built another city, which our Saviour thought fit
to honour with His presence. At the time when the
Romans attacked and besieged Jerusalem, this city was
taken and destroyed on account of the perfidy of its in-
habitants. In its place a third was built, which also after a
long interval of time was itself destroyed ; of its ruins, as
Arculf relates, some traces are shown. Marvellous to say,
even after these three successive cities have been destroyed
on the same site, there still remains only the house of Raab
the harlot,^ who hid the two spies, whom Joshua Ben-Nun
sent across, concealing them in flax straw in the garret.
The stone walls of her house remain, but without a roof
The whole site of the city is left without human habitation,
not even having a house of rest, and produces corn and
vines.3 Between the site of this destroyed city and the
river Jordan are great palm groves, throughout which are
scattered spots where there are nearly countless houses
inhabited by sorry fellows of the race of Channan.'*
XIII. — Galgal, and the Twelve Stones which the
Children of Israel, after crossing the River
Jordan, took from its Dried Channel.
Arculf, of whom I have spoken, saw a large Church in
Galgal, built on the spot where the children of Israel, after
crossing the Jordan, encamped for the first time in the land
1 MSS. *0za.'
2 Compare Bord. PH., p. 25 ; Ant. Mar., p. 12.
' Compare Abbot Daniel, p. 31.
^Compare Mukad., p. 56, 'The people are brown-skinned and
swarthy.'
3-2
36 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
of Chanaan. In this church too the sainted Arculf noted
the twelve stones as to which, after the crossing of the
Jordan, the Lord spoke to Josue -} Choose twelve men, one
for each tribe, and command them to take from the middle
of the channel of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests
have stood, twelve very hard stones, which ye shall place
on the site of your camp, where ye shall pitch your tents
this night. These, I say, Arculf saw, six of them lying on
the pavement on the right side of the church, and an equal
number on the north side, all of them unpolished and
common ; each of them is so large that, as Arculf himself
relates, two strong young men of this time can scarcely
raise it from the earth ; while one had by some un-
known accident been broken in two parts, and has been
artificially joined again by an iron clamp. Galgal,^ where
the above-mentioned church is built, lies to the east of the
most ancient Jericho on this side of the Jordan, in the lot of
the tribe of Juda, at the fifth milestone from Jericho ; the
Tabernacle was fixed here for a longtime; and in this place,
as is said, the above-named church was built, in which are
the above-mentioned twelve stones; it is held in marvellous
reverence and honour by the people of that district.
XIV.-^The Place where our Lord was baptized
BY JOHN.^
That sacred and honoured place, where the Lord was
baptized by John, is always covered by the waters of the
^ Joshua iv. 1-3.
2 C. reads, ' He saw also in Galgal another church on the east side
of the ancient Jericho, and at the fifth milestone from Jericho, where
the Tabernacle was fixed for a long time.' The name of Galgal is
still found in Birket Jilujlieh. The distance from Jericho is most
variously stated by different pilgrims : ' one mile,' Theodorus, ch. xvi. ;
'not far,' Ant. Mar., p. 12; 'a verst' (two-thirds English mile) 'to-
wards the summer sun-rising,' i.e.^ N.E., Abbot Daniel, p. 32.
3 As to the Holy Places on and near the Jordan, see Ant. Mar.,
Appendix I., pp. 38-41.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN, ^y
river Jordan, and as Arculf, who went to the place, relates,
he passed backwards and forwards to it^ through the river ;
in that sacred place a wooden cross of great size is fixed,
close to which the water comes up to the neck of the tallest
man, or, at a time of great drought, when the waters are
diminished, up to his breast ; but when the river is in
flood, the whole of the cross is covered over by the
additional waters. The site of that cross, accordingly,
marking the place where, as has been said above, the Lord
was baptized, is on this side^ of the bed of the river, and a
strong man can with a sling throw a stone from it as far as
the other bank on the Arabian side. From the site of the
above-mentioned cross, a stone bridge is carried on
arches to the bank, across which men go to the cross and
descend by a slope to the bank, ascending as they return.^
At the edge of the river is a small square church, built, as is
said, on the spot where the garments of the Lord were taken
care of at the time when He was baptized. This is raised, so
as to be uninhabitable, on four stone vaults, standing above
the waters which flow below. It is protected above by
^ * Hue et illuc per eundem intra vit fluvium.*
3 C. reads, * on the other side.'
3 The text appears to be corrupt. The descent was from the bank
to the cross, not from the cross to the bank. The allusion may,
however, be to the descent from the upper to the lower bank. Compare
Bede, p. 82. The translation of C. for the whole passage is : 'He told
us also that that sacred, holy, and honourable place, in which the Lord
was baptized by John, is always covered by the waters of the river
Jordan ; and in that place a wooden cross has been fixed. The site
of that cross, where the Lord was baptized, is on the other side of the
bed of the river, while at the edge of the river there is a small church,
where, as is said, the garments of the Lord were taken care of. This
basilica stands above the waters, so as to be uninhabitable, since the
waters flow under it on both sides, and is supported on four stone
vaults and arches. On the higher ground, there is another church in
honour of St. John Baptist.'
38 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
slacked lime/ and below, as has been said, is supported by
vaults and arches. This church is in the lower ground of the
valley through which the river Jordan flows ; while on the
higher ground, overhanging it, a great monastery of monks
is built on the brow of the opposite hill. There is also
enclosed within the same wall as the monastery, a church
in honour of St. John Baptist, built of squared stones.
XV. — The Colour of the Jordan, and the
Dead Sea.
The colour of the river Jordan appears from Arculf's
narrative to be white on the surface, like milk, and as it
enters the Salt Sea its colour can easily be distinguished
from that of the Dead Sea for a long distance along its
course.^
In great tempests the Dead Sea casts up salt on the
ground by the dashing of its waves, and this can usually be
had in abundance along its circuit, affording a very large
supply, not only to those in the vicinity but also to far-
distant nations ; it is sufficiently dried by the heat of the
sun. Salt is otherwise obtained in a mountain of Sicily ;
for the stones of that mountain, when turned out of the
earth, prove to be naturally most salt to the taste, this being
properly called Earth Salt. Sea salt, however, is usually
given a different name from earth salt. From this the Lord
is believed to have derived His simile when He says to
the Apostles in the Gospel : * Ye are the salt of the earth,'
etc. As to this earth salt found in the mountain of Sicily,
JU we were told by the sainted Arculf, who spent some days
1 ' Coctili creta.' ' 1 do not remember having seen the expression
elsewhere.' — C. W. W.
Travellers speak of the water of the Jordan where it debouches
into the Salt Sea as so turgid that its stream can be plainly traced for
some distance in the clear blue water of the sea, 'Mount Seir,' p. 163 ;
Tristram's ' Land of Israel,' p. 249.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. 39
in Sicily, and who proved by sight and taste and touch
that it was really the very saltest of salt.
XVI. — The Dead Sea — continued.
He informed us also as to the salt of the Dead Sea,
which he said he had similarly made proof of by the same
three senses named above ; he visited also the sea-shore of
that lake we have mentioned above, the length of which,
extending to Zoar of Arabia,^ is 580 furlongs; the breadth
in the neighbourhood of Sodom is 150 furlongs.
XVI I. — The Fountains of the Jordan.
Our Arculf proceeded also to that place in the province
of Phenicia, where the Jordan seems to emerge from two
neighbouring fountains at the roots of Lebanon, one of
which is called Jor and the other Dan, which, mingling
together, give rise to the compound name Jordan. 2 But it
is to be noted that the source of the Jordan is not in
^ Zoar (' Zoari ' is the form used here) of Arabia (spelt as Sughar by
Mukaddasi, also Zughar and Sukar) is the Segor of the Crusaders, the
present Tell esh Shaghur. In Mukaddasi's time (985 A.D.) it was 'for
commercial prosperity like a miniature Busrah' (p. 3), and' it was the
capital of the district. The question of the identification of this site
with the Zoar of Lot is discussed by Mr. Guy Le Strange in 'Across
the Jordan,' pp. 317-320, from a careful examination of the Arab geo-
graphers. See also a paper by Mons. Clermont Ganneau, translated
in the P. E. F. Quarterly Statement, January, 1886. Mukaddasi calls
the Dead Sea 'the Lake of Sughar.' See St. Paula, p. 10 ; Ant. Mar.,
pp. 10, 27 ; Abbot Daniel, p. 47 ; Mukad., pp. 62, 84. The length of the
Dead Sea is 49 miles, the greatest breadth 9^ miles.
- The two sources of the Jordan, at Banias (Caesarea Philippi) and
Tell el Kady (Dan). The idea that these streams were called 'Jor'
and ' Dan,' and the derivation from this fact of the name given to the
river formed by their united stream, date from the time of Josephus at
least. Compare Ant. Mar., p. 6 ; Ernoul, p. 50. The Abbot Daniel
strangely represents (p. 60) the two streams as flowing, three bow-
shots apart, from the Sea of Galilee, and re-uniting after about half a
verst (a third of a mile).
40 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
Paneum, but in the district of Trachonitis, at a distance
of 120 furlongs"^ from Caesarea Philippi, which is now
Paneas, a name taken from the mountain Paneum, which
is in Trachonitis.^ Phiala, which is always full of water,
whence the Jordan flows through underground channels,
bubbles up also in Paneum, in two divisions, which, as has
been said above, are usually called Jor and Dan. On
leaving this, after some interval, they flow together so as to
form one river, which thence directs its course for 120 fur-
longs, without receiving any addition,^ as far as the city of
Julias.^ Afterwards it flows through the middle of the lake,
called Genezar, whence, after wandering through a con-
siderable desert tract, it is received in the Asphaltic Lake,
and is lost in it. Thus having passed victoriously through
two lakes, its course is stayed by a third.
XVIIL— The Sea of Galilee.
The sainted Arculf, who has been so often mentioned,
went round the greater part of the Sea of Galilee, which is
also called the Lake of Cinnereth and the Sea of Tiberias,
^ ' 199,' L.
" The belief that the real source of the Jordan was in a Lake Phiala,
on the road to Trachonitis, 120 stadia from Baniis, from which the
water flowed underground to the Cave of Pan in the latter place, is as
old as the time of Josephus, and has been completely given up only in
recent years. Phiala is identified with the Birket er Ram, S.E. of
Banias.
^ The Jordan is joined by the Nahr Hasbany, half a mile below the
junction of the streams from Baniis and Tell el Kidy. The length of
the river from that point to the Lake of Galilee is rather more than
20 miles.
4 C. reads, 'Tiberias,' and continues, 'Thence it flows to the place
which is called Genezar. The Lake of Galilee is formed from the
Jordan ; it is called at one time the Sea of Cenereth, at another the
Sea of Tiberias ; great woods adjoin it.' The identification of (Beth-
saida-) Julias with the ruin et Tell, a little more than a mile north of
the point of the debouchure of the Jordan into the lake, cannot be
discussed here. Cf. ' The Jaulan,' p. 246.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADA MNAN. 41
and which is closely surrounded by great woods. The lake
itself, the size of which almost entitles it to the name of
a sea, extends in length to 140 furlongs, and in breadth
stretches over 40 ;i its waters are sweet and good for
drinking, since they receive nothing that is thick with
marsh mud or turbid, because it is surrounded on all
sides by a sandy shore, wherefore its water is purer and
better^ for use. Of fish, moreover, no finer kinds, either in
taste or in appearance, can be found in any other lake.^
We have taken these short particulars as to the source
of the Jordan and the Lake of Cinnereth partly from the
third book of the Jewish Captivity, partly from the expe-
rience of Arculf. He relates with perfect certainty that he
went in eight* days from that place where the Jordan
emerges from the gorge of the Sea of Galilee to that where
it enters the Dead Sea. This most salt sea the sainted
Arculf very often gazed at from the summit of the Mount
of Olivet, as he himself narrates.
XIX.— SiCHEM AND THE WeLL OF SaMARIA.
Arculf, the sainted priest, passed through the district of
Samaria, and came to the city of that province which is
called, in Hebrew, Sichem, but is named Sicima by Greek
and Latin custom ; it is also often called Sichar, however
improperly. Near that city he saw a church built beyond
the wall, which is four-armed, stretching towards the four
cardinal points, like a cross, a plan of which is drawn below.^
In the middle of it is the Fountain of Jacob, which is also
The extreme length of the lake is ii\ miles, its greatest width
(from Mejdel to Khersa) 6f miles. ' The water of the lake is clear,
bright, and sweet to the taste, except in the neighbourhood of the
salt-springs, and where it is defiled by the drainage of Tiberias.' —
'Recovery of Jerusalem,' pp. 339 f.
' ' Softer,' Z. » MSS. read ' place.' * ' Seven,' L.
^ See Ant. Mar., p. 6, note i ; St. Paula, p. 13 ; Bord. Pil , p. 18, note 7.
42
ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
often called a well, looking towards its four divisions, upon
which the Saviour, wearied out with the toil of His journey,
sat one day at the sixth hour, when the woman of Samaria^
came to that well at mid-day to draw water. As to this
well, the woman, among other things, said in answer to the
Lord : ' Lord, neither hast Thou anything to draw with, and
u
CE
Jcw-oh's
R
Well
CH
PLAN OF THE CHURCH BUILT ABOVE JACOB'S WELL.
the well is deep.'^ Arculf, who drank water from the well,
relates as to its depth : The well that I saw has a depth of
twice twenty orgyiae, that is, forty cubits. An orgyia, or
cubit, is the length from extremity to extremity of the
outstretched arms.^
Sichem, or Sichema, was once a priestly city and a city
^ C. reads, ' thirsting for the faith of the woman of Samaria.'
2 St. John iv. u.
3 Orgyia (opyuta), a Greek measure of length, derived from the
human body, was the distance from extremity to extremity of the out-
stretched arms, whence the name, from dpsyoj. It was equal to 6 feet,
or to 4 cubits, and was jJoth of the stadium. — Smith's ' Dictionary of
Antiquities,' s. v. No idea can at present be formed as to the real
depth of the well.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN, 43
of refuge ; it was included in the tribe of Manasseh and in
Mount Ephraim, where Joseph's bones were buried.
XX. — A Little Fountain in the Wilderness.
Arculf, whom we have often mentioned, saw in a desert
a small clear fountain, from which St. John Baptist is
said to have drunk ; it is protected by a stone covering
besmeared with lime.
XXI.—The Locusts and the Wild Honey.
As to the same John, the Evangelists write : ' Now his
food was locusts and wild honey.'^ Our Arculf saw, in that
desert where John dwelt, a very small kind of locusts, the
bodies of which are small and short like the finger of a
hand, and which are easily captured in the grass, as their
flight is short like the leaps of light frogs ; cooked in oil,
they afford food for the poor.^ As to the * wild honey,'
Arculf gave us this as his experience : In that desert I saw
some trees, with broad round leaves which are of the colour
of milk and have the taste of honey f they are naturally
very fragile, and those who wish to eat them first rub them
in their hands and then eat them. This wild honey is thus
found in the woods.
XXIL— -The Place where the Lord blessed the
Five Loaves and the Two Fishes.
Our Arculf, whom we have often mentioned, came to this
place, where a grassy and level plain has never been
ploughed from the day when on it the Saviour satisfied five
1 St. Matt. iii. 4.
2 Locusts are eaten by the Arabs, but only by the very poorest.
This interpretation is accepted by many commentators, among
them by Meyer, I.e. The term used is specially explained in this
sense by Diod. Sic. XIX. 94, and Suidas, j. v, clk^iq.
44 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
thousand men with five loaves and two fishes ; no buildings
are to be seen on it ; Arculf saw only a few^ columns of
stone lying at the margin of the fountain from which they
are said to have drunk on that day when the Lord refreshed
them, in their hunger, with such a refection. This place
is on this side of ^ the Sea of Galilee, looking to the city of
Tiberias which is to the south of it.^
XXIII. — The Sea of Tiberias and Capharnaum.
Those who, coming down from Jerusalem, wish to reach
Capharnaum, proceed, as Arculf relates, through Tiberias
in a straight course, and thence along the Lake of
Cinnereth, which is also the sea of Tiberias and the sea
of Galilee ; they pass the site of the above-mentioned
Blessing, at a point where two ways meet, and proceeding
along the margin of the above-mentioned lake, at no great
distance they come to Capharnaum, on the sea coast, upon
the borders of Zabulon and Nepthalim. Arculf, who observed
it from a neighbouring mountain, relates that it has no wall
and is confined in a narrow space between the mountain
and the lake, extending along the sea coast for a long
distance ; having the mountain on the north and the lake
on the south, it stretches from west to east.*
1 C. reads, ' four.' 2 c Opposite,' Z., B., V., R.
^ Compare Ant. Mar., p. 8, note i ; St. Paula, p. 14 ; Abb. Dan., p. 63.
The site referred to by Arculf appears to be that around the 'Ain el
Fuliyeh, half-way between Tiberias and el Mejdel (referred to as 'Ain
Barideh in 'Recovery of Jerusalem,' p. 359). Tradition at present
points to the brow of the hill between Kurn Hattin and Tiberias as
the spot of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. The spot often referred
to as the Mensa Christi appears to be el 'Oreimeh, a small artificial
square plateau above 'Ain et Tin, close to Kh. Minieh (P. F. M., vol. i.,
p. 369). All these places are on the west side of the lake. Compare
' City of Jerusalem,' p. 46.
* The evidence of Arculf as to the site of Capernaum is sufficiently
vague to allow of its being quoted by the supporters of both the sites
that are now in dispute — Kh. Minieh and Tell Hfim.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAM NAN. 45
XXIV.— Nazareth and its Churches.
The city of Nazareth, as Arculf who stayed in it relates,
is situated on a mountain. It is, like Capharnaum, un-
walled, yet it has large houses buult of stone, and also two
very large churches. One of these, in the middle of the
city, is built upon two vaults, on the spot where there once
stood the house in which our Lord the Saviour was brought
up.i Among the mounds below this church,^ which, as has
been said, is supported upon two mounds and intervening
arches, there is a very clear spring, frequented by all the
citizens, who draw water from it, and from the same spring
w^ater is raised in vessels to the church above by means of
wheels. The other church is reputed to be built on the
site of the house in which the Archangel Gabriel came and
addressed the Blessed Mary, whom he found there alone
at that hour.3 This information as to Nazareth we have
obtained from the sainted Arculf, who stayed there two
nights and as many days, but was prevented from staying
longer in it, as he was compelled to hasten onwards by a
soldier of Christ, well acquainted with sites, a Burgundian
living a solitary life, Peter by name, who thence returned
circuitously to that solitary* place where he had formerly
stayed.
1 The house of the Virgin appears to be the irregularly-shaped
grotto known as The Virgin's Kitchen. P. F. M., vol. i., p. 276.
2 C. reads, ' Between the mounds of the two churches.*
3 The present buildings in en Nasirah are, of course, of a far later
period than this. But the Greek Church of St. Gabriel has a spring
of water rising just north of the high altar, with an opening in the floor
to the conduit, which carries the water south to the Virgin's Well, or
the Fountain of the Annunciation, the only well in Nazareth.
* ' Holy,' B., V.
46 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
XXV.— Mount Tabor.
Mount Tabor is in Galilee, three miles from the Lake of
Cinnereth, marvellously round on every side, looking from
its northern side over the lake we have just named. It is
very grassy and flowery, having an ample plain on its
pleasant summit, and is surrounded by a very large wood.
In the middle of this level surface is a great monastery of
monks, with a large number of their cells. For its summit
is not drawn up to a narrow peak, but is spread over a level
surface of twenty-four^ furlongs in length, while its height
is thirty furlongs.^
On this higher plain are also three very celebrated
churches^ of no small construction, according to the number
of those tabernacles of which Peter spoke to the Lord on
that holy mountain, while he rejoiced in the heavenly
vision, but yet was terrified by it, saying : ' It is good
that we should be here ; if Thou wilt, let us make here
three tabernacles, one for Thee and one for Moses and one
for Elias.'* The buildings of the monasteries and the three
churches mentioned above, with the cells of the monks, are
1 ' Twenty-three,' C, B., Bern.
^ Jebel et Tor is a conical mountain with a flat summit, which is a
little less than a quarter of a mile long and one-eighth of a mile wide,
1843 feet above the sea-level, 1500 feet above the Plain of Esdraelon
at the foot. The southern face is almost bare, but the northern is
clothed to the top with a forest of oak and terebinth, mingled with
syringa. — ' The Land and the Book.'
3 There are still to be traced on the summit the foundations of three
churches which the markings of the stones show to have been built
in Crusading times. See P. F. M., vol. i.,. pp. 388-391. The idea
that Mount Tabor was the scene of the Transfiguration still strangely
survives in spite of all proof to the contrary. It dates from a much
earlier date than the Crusades, as shown by this passage, and by the
still earlier references in Ant. Mar., p. 5 ; St. Paula, p. 14. The
Bordeaux Pilgrim, p. 25, places the Transfiguration on the Mount of
Olives. •* St. Matt. xvii. 4.
HOL V PLA CES, WRITTEN BY A DA MNAN. 47
all surrounded by a stone wall.^ There the sainted Arculf
spent one night on the top of that holy mountain, for
Peter, the Burgundian Christian, who was his guide in
those places, would not allow him to stay in one hospice
longer, but hurried him on.^
It should here be noted that the name of that famous
mountain ought to be written in Greek with 0 and long &,
^a/3w/j, and in Latin with the aspirate Thabor, the letter 0
being long. The proper orthography of the word is found
in Greek books.^
XXVI.— Damascus.
Damascus, according to the account of Arculf, who
stayed some days in it, is a great royal city, situated in a
wide plain, surrounded by an ample circuit of walls, and
further fortified by frequent towers. Without the walls there
are a large number of olive groves round about, while four
great rivers flow through it, bringing great joy to the city.
The king of the Saracens has seized the government, and
reigns in that city, and a large church has been built there
in honour of St. John Baptist. There has also been built,
in that same city, a church of unbelieving Saracens which
they frequent.
XXVIL— Tyre.
Our Arculf, who visited so many districts, also entered
Tyre, the metropolis of the province of Phenicia, which in
Hebrew and Syriac is called Tsor, and which is said in
Greek and Latin and barbarous histories to have had no
1 This wall may be that built by Josephus round the top of the
mountain.
2 C. adds, ' For this Peter, leaving his parents and his country, was
now an exile for a long time for the Lord's sake.'
^ The Greek form is e«/3wp, but it is also represented by 'ira^ipiov
(Josephus), and 'Ara^vpwv (Polybius).
48 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
approach from the land. But some say that afterwards
mounds were thrown up by Nabuchodonosor, Kin^ of the
Chaldeans, and that a place was prepared for darts and
battering-rams in the assault, so that the island became
part of the level plain.i This city was beautiful and very
noble, and it is not unworthily rendered in Latin ' narrow,'
for the island and the city have the same characteristic
narrowness. It is situated in the land of Chanaan, where
the Chananite or Tyrophenician woman lived, who is men-
tioned in the Gospel.
It is to be noted that the account of the site of Tyre
and the site of Mount Thabor,^ given by the sainted Arculf,
is in complete accordance with what we have excerpted
above from the commentaries of St. Hieronymus. Also what
we have above stated as to the site and form of Mount
Thabor, according to the narrative of the sainted Arculf, in
no way differs from what St. Hieronymus narrates as to the
situation and the marvellous roundness of that mountain.
From Mount Thabor to Damascus is a seven^ days' journey.
XXVIIL— Alexandria, and the River Nile and its
Crocodiles.
That great city, which was once the metropolis of Egypt,
was formerly called in Hebrew No.^ It is a very populous
city, deriving its name of Alexandria, a name known and
famous among all nations, from its founder Alexander, the
king of Macedonia, from whom it received both the magni-
1 It was by Alexander the Great (who took Tyre after a seven
months' siege, B.C. 332) that the island was united to the mainland by
an artificial mole. The siege by Nebuchadnezzar, which lasted for
nineteen years, was probably ended by capitulation on honourable
terms. ^ ' And . . . Thabor,' only in L.
3 Some MSS., 'two,' * four,' ' eight.' ^ C. ends here.
5 The ' No ' of the Old Testament is undoubtedly Thebes, not Alex-
andria (as Jerome supposed).
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAM NA^^, 49
tude of a city and its name. As to its situation, Arculf gave
us an account, which differs in no way from what we have
learned in the course of our previous reading.
Going down from Jerusalem and beginning his voyage
at Joppa, he had a journey of forty days to Alexandria,
of which Nahum the prophet speaks briefly, when he says :
' Water round about it, whose riches are the sea, waters are
its walls.' 1 For on the south it is surrounded by the mouths
of the river Nile, while on the north,^ as the outline of its
position clearly shows, it is situated upon^ the Nile and the sea,
so that on this side and on that it is surrounded by water. The
city lies like an enclosure between Egypt and the Great Sea,
without a [natural] haven, difficult to approach from without.
Its port is more difficult than others, in form like the human
body, more capacious at the head and the roads, but narrower
in the straits, in which it receives the movements of the sea
and ships, by which some aids to breathing are given to the
port. When one has escaped the narrows and mouths of
the port, a stretch of sea is spread out before one, far and
wide, like the form of the rest of the body. On the right
side of the port there is a small island, on which is a very
high tower, which the Greeks and the Latins have in
common called, from its use, Pharus/ because it is seen by
1 Nahum iii. 8, of No. (See former note.)
2 MSS. read, 'it is surrounded by the Mareotic Lake ; thus, as the
outline,' etc. ^ Perhaps 'between.'
"* The long, narrow island of Pharus, stretching to the north of
Alexandria, and connected with it by the Mole (called from its length
'Heptastadium'), had at its eastern end the lighthouse from which it
took its name, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient
world. It was begun by Ptolemy Soter, and completed by his suc-
cessor. It consisted of several stories, and is said to have been 400
feet in height ; it was a square structure of white marble ; on its top
fires were burned for the direction of mariners, as the entrance to the
magnificent harbour, between Pharus and the headland of Lochias,
was dangerous and rocky. See Smith's Dictionaries of the Bible and
of Geography, and Kitto's Cyclopasdia, s. v. 'Alexandria.'
4
so ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
voyagers at a great distance, in order that, before they
approach the port, they may, specially during the night,
recognise the proximity of land by the light of the flames,
that they may not be deceived by the darkness and fall
upon rocks or fail to recognise the boundaries of the
entrance. Men are accordingly employed there by whom
torches and other masses of wood which have been collected
are set on fire to serve as a guide to the land, showing the
narrow entrance of the straits, the bosom of the waves, and
the windings of the entrance, lest the slender keel should
graze the rocks and in the very entrance strike upon the
rocks that are hidden by the waves. Accordingly a ship
ought to be somewhat deflected from the straight course, to
prevent its running into danger from striking on hidden
stones. For the approach in the port is narrower on the
right side, but the port is wider on the left. Round the
island also, beams of immense size have been regularly laid
down, to prevent the foundations of the island from yielding
to the constant collision of the rising sea, and being loosened
by the injury. So that the middle channel, among rugged
rocks and broken masses of earth, is beyond doubt always
unquiet, and it is dangerous for ships to enter through the
roughness of the passage.
The port extends in size over thirty furlongs, and it is
quite safe even in the greatest storms, as the above-
mentioned straits and the obstacle of the island repel the
waves of the sea, the bosom of the port being so defended
by them as to be removed from the reach of tempests and
at peace from breakers by which the entrance is made rough.
Nor are the safety and the size of the port undeservedly
so great, since there must be borne into it whatever is need-
ful for the use of the whole city.^ For the needs of the
innumerable population of those districts give rise to much
1 ' World,' F.
HOLY PLACES, WRLTTEN BY ADAMNAN, 51
commerce for the use of the whole city, and the district is
very fruitful, and, besides abounding in all other gifts and
trades of the earth, it supplies corn for the whole world, and
other necessary merchandise. The region is beyond doubt
wanting in rain, but the irrigation of the Nile supplies
spontaneous showers, so that the fields are tempered at
once by the rain of heaven and by the fruitful ness of the
earth ; and the situation is thus convenient both for sailors
and for husbandmen. These sail, those sow ; these are borne
round on their voyages, those till the land, sowing without
need of ploughing, travelling without waggons. You see
a country intersected by watercourses, and houses through-
out the land raised as it were upon walls, on the banks of
the navigable rivers, standing on the edge of each bank of
the river Nile. The river is navigable, they say, up to the
city of Elephanti ; a ship is prevented from proceeding
further by the cataracts, that is, flowing hills of water, not
from want of depth, but from the fall of the whole river and
the downward rush of the waters.
The narrative of the sainted Arculf about the situation
of Alexandria and the Nile is proved not to dift'er from
what we have learned from our reading in the books of
others. We have, indeed, abbreviated some excerpts from
these writings and inserted them in this description, as to
the havenlessness of this city or the difficulty of its haven,
as to the island and the tower built on it, as to the terminal
position of Alexandria between the sea and the mouths of
the river Nile, etc. Hence it happens beyond doubt that
the site of the city, which is as it were choked between
these two limits, extends from west to east very far along a
narrow stretch of ground, as the narrative of Arculf shows ;^
he relates that he began to enter the city at the third hour
1 Alexandria is stated by Pliny to be four miles in length, nearly a
mile in breadth, and fifteen miles in circumference.
4—2
52 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
of the day in the month of October, and on account of the
length of the city could hardly reach the other end of its
length before evening. It is surrounded by a long circuit
of walls, fortified by frequent towers, constructed along the
margin of the river and the curving shore of the sea.
Further, as one coming from Egypt enters the city of
Alexandria, one meets on the north^ side a large church, in
which Mark the Evangelist is buried ; his sepulchre is
shown before the altar in the eastern end of this four-sided
church, and a monument of him has been built above it
of marble.
So much, then, about Alexandria, which, as we have said
above, was called No before it was so much enlarged by
Alexander the Great, and which, as we further said above,
adjoins what is called the Canopean mouth of the river
Nile, separating Asia from Egypt and also Lybia. On
account of the inundation of Egypt by the river Nile, they
construct raised mounds along its banks, which, if they
should be broken by the negligence of the watchmen or by
too great an irruption of water, by no means irrigate the
flooded fields, but spoil them and lay them waste. On this
account a considerable number of the inhabitants of the
plains of Egypt, according to the narrative of the sainted
Arculf, who often sailed over that river in Egypt, live above
the water in houses supported on transverse beams.
Arculf relates that crocodiles live in the river Nile, quad-
rupeds of no great size, very voracious, and so strong that
one of them, if it can find a horse or an ass or an ox eating
grass on the river bank, suddenly rushes out and attacks
it, or even seizing one foot -of the animal with its jaws,
drags it under the water, and completely devours the entire
a.nimal.
^ Some MSS add, 'near at hand.'
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. 53
BOOK III.
I.— The City of Constantinople.
Arculf, who has been mentioned so often, on his return
from Alexandria, stayed for some days in the island of
Crete, and sailed thence to Constantinople, where he spent
some months. This city is, beyond doubt, the metropolis
of the Roman Empire. It is surrounded by the waves of
the sea except on the north ; the sea breaking out from the
Great Sea for forty miles,^ while from the wall of Constan-
tinople it still further stretches sixty miles^ up to the mouths
of the river Danube. This imperial city is surrounded by
no small circuit of walls, twelve miles in length f it is a
promontory by the sea-side, having, like Alexandria or
Carthage, walls built along the sea coast, additionally
strengthened by frequent towers, after the fashion of Tyre ;
within the city walls it has numerous houses, very many of
which are of marvellous size; these are of stone, and are
built after the fashion of the dwelling-houses of Rome.
II. — The Foundation of that City. .
As to its foundation the citizens relate this tradition,
which they have received from their ancestors : The
Emperor Constantine, having gathered together an infinite
1 Others, ' sixty.' 2 Others, ' forty.'
3 The walls built by the younger Theodosius to surround the capital
and its suburbs made the circumference of the city between ten and
eleven English miles.
54' ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
multitude of men, and collected from all sides infinite
supplies, so that all other cities were almost stripped bare,
began to build a city to bear his name on the Asian side —
that is, in Cilicia, across the sea which, in these districts,
separates Asia from Europe. But one night, while the in-
numerable forces of workmen were sleeping in their tents
over the vast length of the camp, all the different kinds
of tools used by the artificers of the different works were
suddenly removed, no one knew how. With dawn, many
of the workmen, troubled and downcast, brought before the
Emperor Constantine himself a complaint as to the sudden
occult removal of the tools; and the King consequently
inquired of them : * Did you hear of other things being ab-
stracted from the camp ?' ' Nothing,' they say, * but all the
work-tools.' Then next the King commands them : * Go
quickly to the sea coasts of the neighbouring districts on
both sides [of the straits] and search them carefully, and if
you chance to find your tools in any place in the country,
watch over them there meanwhile, and do not bring them
back here, but let some of you return to me, so that I may
have accurate information as to the finding of the tools.'
On hearing this, the workmen follow out the King's
directions, and going away did as he ordered, searching the
boundaries of the territories next the sea on both sides.
And behold, on the European side, across the sea, they
found the tools gathered together in a heap in one place
between two seas. On making the discovery, some of them
are sent back to the King, and on their arrival they
announce the finding of the tools in such a place. On
learning this, the King immediately orders trumpeters to
pass through the camp, blowing their trumpets and ordering
the force to move its camp, saying : * Let us remove from
this place to build a city on the spot divinely pointed out
to us ;' and at the same time he had ships made ready,
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. 55
and crossed over with his whole force to the spot where
the tools were found, as he knew that the place thus shown
to him by their removal was that designed by God for the
purpose.! There he at once founded a city, which is called
Constantinople, the name being compounded of his own
name and the Greek word for city, so that the founder's
name is retained in the former part of the compound.
Let this description of the situation and the foundation
of that royal city suffice.
III. — The Church in which the Cross of the Lord
IS preserved.
But we must not be silent as to that most celebrated
round church in that city, built of stone and of marvellous
size. According to the narrative of the sainted Arculf,
who visited it for no short time, it rises from the bottom of
its foundations in three walls, being built in triple form to a
great height, and it is finished in a very round simple crown-
ing vault of great beauty. This is supported on great
arches, with a wide space between each of the above-men-
tioned walls, suited and convenient either for dwelling or
for praying to God in. In the northern part of the interior
of the house is shown a very large and very beautiful ambry,
in which is kept a wooden chest, which is similarly
covered over with wooden work : in which is shut up that
wooden Cross of Salvation on which our Saviour hung for
the salvation of the human race. This notable chest, as
the sainted Arculf relates, is raised with its treasure of such
preciousness upon a golden^ altar, on three consecutive days
after the lapse of a year. This altar also is in the same
^ Constantine seems to have claimed Divine guidance in the selection
of the site of his new capital, and in fixing its boundaries ; but the
legends attached to these facts are of comparatively late origin,
^ ' Under a brazen,' Bern.
56 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
round church, being two cubits long and one broad. On
three successive days only throughout the year is the Lord's
Cross raised and placed on the altar, that is, on [the day of]
the Supper of the Lord,^ when the Emperor and the armies
enter the church and, approaching the altar, after that
sacred chest has been opened, kiss the Cross of Salvation.
First of all the Emperor of the world kisses it with bent
face, then one going up after another in the order of rank
or age, all kiss the Cross with honour. Then on the
next day, that is, on the sixth day of the week before
Easter, the Queen, the matrons, and all the women of
the people, approach it in the above-mentioned order and
kiss it with all reverence. On the third day, that is, on [the
day of] the Paschal Sabbath,^ the bishop and all the clergy
after him approach in order, with fear and trembling and
all honour, kissing the Cross of Victory, which is placed in
its chest. When these sacred and joyful kissings of the
Sacred Cross are finished, that venerable chest is closed,
and with its honoured treasure is borne back to its ambry.
But this also should be carefully noted that there are not
two but three short pieces of wood in the Cross, that is,
the cross-beam and the long one which is cut and divided
into two equal parts ; while from these threefold venerated
beams when the chest is opened, there arises an odour of
a wonderful fragrance, as if all sorts of flowers had been
collected in it, wonderfully full of sweetness, satiating and
gladdening all in the open space before the inner walls of
that church, who stand still as they enter at that moment \
for from the knots of those threefold beams a sweet-smell-
ing liquid distills, like pressed-out oil, which causes all
^ ' In Cocna Domini,' i.e.^ Maundy Thursday.
2 I.e.^ on the Saturday before Easter. The practice of calling the
Lord's Day the Sabbath was unknown for nearly a thousand years
after this date.
HOL V FLA CES, WRITTEN B V ADAM NAN. 57
men of whatever race, who have assembled and enter the
church, to perceive the above-mentioned fragrance of so
great sweetness. This liquid is such that if even a little
drop of it be laid on the sick, they easily recover their
health, whatever be the trouble or disease they have been
afflicted with.
But as to these let this suffice.
IV. — St. George the Confessor.
Arculf, the sainted man, who gave us all these details
as to the Cross of the Lord, which he saw with his own
eyes and kissed, gave us also an account of a Confessor
named George,^ which he learned in the city of Constanti-
nople from some well-informed citizens, who were accus-
tomed to narrate it in this form :
In a house in the city of Diospolis there stands the
marble column of George the Confessor, to which, during
^ This chapter has a special historical interest, as the earliest account
of St. George known to have been circulated in Britain ; and it is
worthy of notice that it was in the northern part of England, where
this narrative is known to have obtained special favour, that we first
find St. George holding any special position (a place being assigned
to him in the Anglo-Saxon ritual of Durham, which is probably of the
early part of the ninth century, and a 'Passion of St. George' having
been written by ^Ifric, Archbishop of York, a.d. 1020-1051). While
there has been much controversy as to whether there ever was an
historical person corresponding to the legendary saint, and, if there
was, as to which of the countless Georges he was, it may probably be
now accepted that there really was a George, prior in time to the
Arian intruding Bishop of Alexandria, known as George of Cappadocia
(whom Gibbon identified with the George in question), and that he was
connected in some way with Diospolis or Lydda. For a list of the
authorities to be consulted, as well as for a statement of the facts, see
an article by the Rev. G. T. Stokes, on ' Georgius-Martyr ' in Smith's
Diet, of Christian Biog., vol. ii., pp. 645-648, and specially the wise
remarks of Professor Bright in closing a previous article on * Georgius
of Cappadocia,' p. 640.
58 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
a time of persecution, he was bound while he was scourged,
and on which his likeness is impressed ; he was, however,
loosed from his chains and lived for many years after the
scourging. It happened one day that a hard-hearted and un-
believing fellow, mounted on horseback, having entered that
house and seen the marble column, asked those who were
there, ' Whose is this likeness engraved on the marble column ?'
They reply, 'This is the likeness of George the Confessor,
who was bound to this column and scourged.' On hearing
this, that most rough fellow, greatly enraged at the insensible
object, and instigated by the devil, struck with his lance
at the likeness of the sainted Confessor. The lance of that
assailant penetrating the mass in a marvellous manner, as
if it were a ball of snow, perforated the exterior of that
stone column, and its iron point sticking fast was retained
in the interior and could not be drawn out by any means.
Its shaft, however, striking the marble likeness of the
sainted Confessor, was broken on the outside. The horse
also of that wretched fellow, on which he was mounted, fell
dead under him at that moment on the pavement of the
house. The wretched man himself too, falling to the
ground at the same time, put out his hands to the marble
column, and his fingers, entering it as if it were flour or
clay, stuck fast impressed in that column. On seeing this,
the miserable man, who could not draw back the ten
fingers of his two hands, as they stuck fast together in the
marble likeness of the sainted Confessor, invokes in peni-
tence the name of the Eternal God and of His Confessor,
and prays with tears to be released from that bond. The
merciful God, who does not wish the death of a sinner
but that he may be converted and live, accepted his tearful
penitence, and not only released him from that present
visible bond of marble, but also mercifully set him free
from the invisible bonds of sin, saved by faith.
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN, 59
Hence it is clearly shown in what honour George has
been held with God, whom he confessed amid tortures,
since his bust, which, in the course of nature, is im-
penetrable, was made penetrable by penitence,^ which also
made the equally impenetrating lance of his adversary
penetrating, and made the weak fingers of that fellow,
which in the same course of nature were impenetrating,
powerfully penetrating, which at first were so fastened in
the marble that even that hard man could not draw them
back, but which, when in the same moment he was so
terrified and thus softened into penitence, he drew back by
the pity of God. Marvellous to say, the marks of his
twice five fingers appear down to the present day inserted
up to the roots in the marble column ; and the sainted
Arculf inserted in their place his own tea fingers, which
similarly entered up to the roots. Further, the blood of that
fellow's horse, the haunch of which, as it fell dead on the
pavement, was broken in two, cannot be washed out or
removed by any means, but that horse's blood remains in-
delible on the pavement of the house down to our times.
The sainted Arculf told us another narrative, as to which
there is no doubt, about the same George the Confessor,
which he had learned from some eye-witnesses of sufficient
trustworthiness, in the above-mentioned city of Constanti-
nople, who were in the habit of telling incidents connected
with that sainted Confessor : A layman, entering the city of
Diospolis on horseback at a time when many thousands
were gathering there from all sides for an expedition, came
to that house, in which is the above-mentioned marble
column with the impression of the sainted Confessor
George imprinted on its front, and entering it, began to say
to the likeness as if he were speaking in the presence
of George himself: 'To thee, George the Confessor, I
^ Others read ' power.'
6o ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
commend myself and my horse, in order that we may both
be preserved by the virtue of thy prayers from all dangers
of war and disease and water, and may return in safety
to this city after the close of the expedition ; and if a
merciful God will grant thee our prosperous return, in
accordance with the offering of our poverty, I will offer in
return to thee this my horse which I greatly love, and will
make it over to thee in the sight of thy likeness.' Speedily
finishing these few words, the fellow left the house and,
with his comrades, joined the multitude of the army
and entered on the expedition. After many varied
dangers of war and among many thousands of wretched
fellows who were scattered and perished, he returns
in safety to Diospolis, by the favour of God to George
the Christ-worshipper, mounted on the same beloved
horse, having purchased deliverance from all grievous
misfortunes by that committal, and he joyfully enters
that house in which was preserved the likeness of that
sainted Confessor, bringing with him gold to the value of
his horse, and addresses the sainted George as if he were
present : * Sainted Confessor, I give thanks to Eternal God
who has brought me back in safety^ through thy exalted
constancy and prayer. Wherefore I bring to thee twenty
solidi 2 of gold, the price of my horse which I at the first
committed to thee and which thou hast preserved down to
the present day.' Saying this, he lays down the above-
described weight of gold at the feet of the sainted likeness
of the Confessor, loving his horse more than the gold, and
then leaving the house, after kneeling down, mounting his
beast he urges it to go forward, but it could not be moved
at all.
^ V. reads, * through so many and so great dangers by the power
of thy prayer.'
^ The solidus or aureus^ from the time of Constantine the Great,
weighed -^o, lb. (Smith's Diet, of Antiq., s. v. Aurum).
HOLY PLACES, WRITTEN BY ADAMNAN. 6i
Seeing this, the fellow dismounts and re-enters the
house and brings another ten solid i, saying : * Sainted
Confessor, a gentle guardian hast thou been for me to my
horse, among the dangers in the expedition, but I see thou
art hard and greedy in the sale of the horse.' Saying this,
he lays the ten solidi above the twenty, saying to the
sainted Confessor : ' These also I give thee in addition, so
that thou mayest be appeased and release my horse for the
journey.' With these words he returns, and again mount-
ing his horse, urges it forward, but it remained standing as
if fixed in the spot, nor could it move even one foot. What
more? After mounting and dismounting four several times,
entering the house with ten solidi and returning to his im-
movable horse, he kept running hither and thither ; but by
all his urging he could not move his horse, until a mass of
sixty solidi was gathered there. Then at length he repeats
the above-mentioned speech about the gentle humanity of
the sainted Confessor and the safe guardianship in the
expedition, and he also mentions in similar terms the hard-
ness and even the greediness in the sale, as is said, and
after four several times returning to the house he at last
addressed the sainted George in this manner: 'Sainted
Confessor, now I see clearly what thy will is. All this
weight of gold, the whole sixty solidi, which thou desirest,
I offer to thee as a gift, and also my horse itself which I
promised to make over to thee before, on account of the ex-
pedition ; now I make it over to thee, although bound with
invisible bonds, which will however, as I believe, be soon
released through the honour thou hast with God.' Having
finished this speech, he goes out from the house and finds
the horse released on that very moment, and he brings it
with him into the house and makes it over to the sainted
Confessor in the sight of that likeness, and departs joyfully
praising Christ,
62 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE
Hence it is plainly gathered that whatever is consecrated
to the Lord, whether it be man or animal, according to
what is written in the book of Leviticus, cannot be re-
deemed or changed in any way : for if * any one shall change
it, both that which was changed, and that for which it was
changed, shall be consecrated to the Lord,'^ and it shall
not be redeemed.
v.— The Picture of St. Mary.
Arculf, who has been so often mentioned, gave us an ac-
curate account, obtained from some well-informed witnesses
in the city of Constantinople, as to the bust of the holy
mother of the Lord : In that metropolitan city there used
to hang on the wall of a house a picture of Blessed Mary,
depicted on a small wooden tablet, as to which a certain
stolid and hard-hearted man, on inquiring whose the picture
was, learned from one who answered him, that it was the
likeness of Saint Mary, ever virgin. That unbelieving Jew,
hearing this, at the instigation of the devil, took that picture
in great wrath from the wall, and rushed to a neighbouring
privy ; and there, to dishonour Christ, born of Mary, he cast
the picture of His mother through a hole upon the filth that
lay belcrv^^, and having dishonoured it by every means in
his power, he departed.^ Now what he did afterwards, or
how he lived, or of what sort the end of his life was, is
not known. But, after the wretch's departure, another
fortunate man of the common people, a Christian, who was
very zealous in religious matters, coming in and knowing
what had happened, searched for the image of Saint Mary,
and rescued it from the human filth amidst which he found
it, and washed it clean with the purest water, and taking it
^ Lev. xxvii. lo, 33.
^ The original cannot be literally translated in this sentence.
HOL Y PLA CES, WRIT TEN BY A DAMN A N. 63
home with him, treated it with great honour. Marvellous
to say, there always distils from the wood of that picture of
Blessed Mary a true boiling oil, which, as Arculf used to say,
he saw with his own eyes. This marvellous oil proves the
honour of Mary the mother of Jesus, of whom the Father
says, * In My holy oil, have I anointed Him.' ^ The same
Psalmist says to the Son of God Himself, 'The Lord Thy
God hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above
Thy fellows.'^
This narrative, which we have written about the situation
and the foundation of Constantinople, and also about that
round church in which the wood of salvation is preserved,
etc., we learned carefully from the mouth of the saintep
priest, Arculf; who remained in that city, by far the
greatest of the Roman Empire, from the Paschal feast to that
of the Lord's birth. Afterwards he sailed thence to Rome.
VL— Mount Vulcan.
There is an island in the Great Sea towards the east,
twelve^ miles from Sicily, in which is Mount Vulcan,* which
sounds so loudly, like thunder, all day and night, that the
ground of Sicily, though so far away, is thought to be shaken
by the terrific tremor, but it seems to sound more loudly on
the sixth day of the week, and the Sabbath ; it appears
always to burn by night, and to smoke by day. This
Arculf told me about that mountain as I was writing ; he
saw it with his own eyes, burning by night, but smoking by
day; its thunder-like sound he heard with his own ears,
while he was staying in Sicily for some days.
1 Psalm Ixxxix. 20. ^ Psalm xlv. 7. ^ ' Fourteen,' G.
* The island of Volcano^ the ancient Hiera^ also known as Vidcani
Insula^ from its volcanic phenomena, is the southernmost of the Lipari
Islands — the old ^oliae, or Vulcanise, Insulae, to the north of Sicily.
It is twelve geographical miles from Sicily. See Smith's Dictionary
of Greek and Roman Geography, s. v. ^oliae Insulae.
64 ARCULF'S NARRATIVE ABOUT THE HOLY PLACES.
VII.— Epilogue.
Therefore I beseech those who shall read these short
books, to pray for the divine clemency, on behalf of the
sainted priest Arculf, who most willingly dictated to us
these facts of his experience of the holy places which he
visited, which I have, in however unworthy words, de-
scribed, although placed in the midst of laborious and
nearly insupportable ecclesiastical cares, which come upon
me the whole day from all sides. Therefore I charge the
reader of these experiences that he neglect not to pray to
Christ, the Judge of the ages, for me, a miserable sinner, the
writer of them.
A LITTLE BOOK CONCERNING THE HOLY PLACES,
WHICH BEDE COMPOSED BY ABBREVIATING THE
WORKS OF FORMER WRITERS.
I HAVE BRIEFLY DESCRIBED BOTH THE BOUNDS AND THE SITES OF
THE PLACES, WHICH THE SACRED PAGE MAKES MORE MEMORABLE,
I, BEDE, FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE OF LATER AS WELL AS OF
OLDER WRITERS, EXAMINING WHAT THE CHART OF THE MASTERS
TELLS.
GRANT, JESUS, THAT WE MAY EVER TEND TO THAT FATHERLAND
WHICH THY PERFECT VISION BLESSES FOR EVERMORE.
THE VENERABLE BEDE CONCERNING
THE HOLY PLACES.
Note. — The references in the margm are to the corf-esponding
passages in Arciilfs Narrative.
I.— The Situation of Jerusalem.
The situation of the city of Jerusalem, which is Arcuif, p. 2.
almost circular in form, rises with a circuit of walls of no
small extent, within which it has also embraced Mount
Sion, which was once reckoned only in its vicinity, over-
hanging the city in the south like a citadel, the larger part
of the city lying under the mountain, upon the level
summit of a lower hill. After the Passion of the Lord, it
was destroyed by the Emperor Titus, but it was restored
and greatly enlarged by ^lius Hadrian, after whom it is
also now called ^lia. Whence it happens that, while the
Lord suffered and was buried beyond the gates of the city,
the sites of His Passion and Resurrection are now seen
within the walls. In the great circuit of the walls there are
shown eighty-four towers, and six gates : first, the Gate of
David, to the west of Mount Sion ; second, the Gate of the
Valley of the Fuller ; third, the Gate of St. Stephen ; fourth,
the Gate of Benjamin ; fifth, a portlet — that is, a p. 3-
little gate — by which is the descent by steps to the Valley
of Josaphat ; sixth, the Gate Thecuitis.^ There are, how-
ever, three of these gates that are more frequently used :
^ Or ' of the Tekoiles,' see Arcuif, p. 2, note i, vi.
5—2
68 THE VENERABLE BEDE
one on the west, another on the north, a third on the east,
while on the south the northern brow of Mount Sion over-
hangs the city, and the part of the walls with its interposed
towers is proved to have no gates, that is, from the above-
named Gate of David as far as that face of Mount Sion which
looks eastward, where the rock is precipitous. The situa-
p. 4- tion of the city itself, beginning from the northern
brow of Mount Sion, is so disposed on a slight declivity
sloping to the lower ground of the northern and eastern
walls, that rain falling there does not settle, but rushes down
like rivers through the eastern gates, carrying with it all
the filth of the streets, till it joins the torrent of Cedron in
the Valley of Josaphat.
II. — The Church of Constantine and of Golgotha,
THE Church of the Resurrection and the
Sepulchre of the Lord, the Stone that was
ROLLED TO THE MOUTH OF THE TOMB, THE ChURCH
OF St. Mary, the Cup of the Lord and the
Sponge, THE Altar of Abraham, the Soldier's
Spear.
p. lo. Such, then, as have entered the city from the
north to survey the holy places, must first, in accordance
with the arrangements of the streets, turn to the Church
of Constantine, which is called the Martyrium. This was
built in a magnificent and royal manner by the Emperor
Constantine, because on that spot the Cross of our Lord
was found by Helena, his mother. To the west of this
is seen the Church of Golgotha, in which also the rock
appears which once bore the very Cross to which the body
of the Lord was nailed, now bearing a silver cross of
great size, above which hangs a great circular chandelier of
brass with lamps. Below the site of the Cross of the Lord
is a crypt cut out m the rock, in which sacrifice is wont to
CONCERNING THE HOLY PLACES. 69
be offered upon an altar for honoured dead persons, whose
bodies meanwhile are placed in the court. To the west
of this church again, is the round church of pp s,6.
the 'Ava<jTaaL<^, that is, of the Resurrection of the Lord,
surrounded with three walls, supported on twelve columns,
having a broad pathway left between each wall and the
next, containing three altars in three spaces in the middle
wall, that is, to the south, the north, and the west. It
has twice four gates, that is entrances, running in a straight
line through the three walls, four of them looking to the
north-east,^ and four to the south-east. In the middle of this
is the Tomb of the Lord, cut out in the rock, of round form,
of such height that a man standing within it can touch the
top with his hand, with an entrance on the east at which
that great stone was placed ; the interior still shows the
marks of the iron tools. On the outside it is completely
covered with marble up to the highest point of the roof, while
the very highest point, which is adorned with gold, bears a
golden cross of large size. In the northern part of p- 6.
this Tomb is the Sepulchre of the Lord, cut out in the same
rock, seven feet in length, raised three palms above the
pavement, having an entrance on the southern side : twelve
lamps burn here day and night, four below^ the Sepulchre,
eight above on the right side. The stone which was pp. 8, 9.
placed at the mouth of the Tomb has been broken in two, the
smaller part standing as a square altar before the mouth of
the Tomb, while the larger part stands in the eastern side
of the church under the linen cloths, also forming a four-
sided altar. The colour of the Tomb and of the Sepulchre
is white mixed with red.
The four-sided Church of the Mother of God also p. 9.
adjoins this church on its right side. In the court p- ", ".
which joins the Martyrium and Golgotha is a recess (exedra),
1 See page 6, note i. * Others, * within.'
70 THE VENERABLE BEDE
in which the Cup of the Lord is kept in a shrine, and may
be touched and kissed through an opening in the cover. It
is a silver cup, with a handle on each side, holding a French
quart } in it is the Sponge, which afforded drink to the
p. II. Lord. Also on the spot where Abraham built an
Altar to sacrifice his son, is a wooden table of some size, on
which the alms of the poor are laid by the people. The
p. 12. soldier's spear is inserted in a wooden cross in the
portico of the Martyrium, its shaft having been broken in
two ; it is held in reverence by the whole city.
I have caused each of these I have spoken of to be
depicted in a drawing, so that you may more clearly realize
the description.2
IIL— The Temple, the Oratory of the Saracens,
THE Pool of Bethesda, the Fountain of Siloa,
THE Church built upon Mount Sion, the Place
OF the Stoning of St. Stephen, the Middle of
THE World.
All these sacred places we have mentioned lie beyond
Mount Sion, whence a swelling of the ground, lessening
pp. 4. 5- towards the north, stretches. In the lower part of
the city, where the temple was close to the wall on the east,
and wa-s connected with the city itself by a bridge for the
crossing of any, is now a square building, apparently capable
of holding three thousand men, which the Saracens frequent
for prayer ; it is rudely built, raised on boards and great
beams above the remains of ruins. A few cisterns for water
are to be seen there. In the neighbourhood of the temple is
the Pool of Bethsaida,^ like a twin lake, the one being often
^ See page ii, note 4. ^ This drawing is given in Pa.
^ The questions connected with the Pool of Bethesda are discussed
at length by Sir Charles Wilson, in Appendix III. of the translation
of the Bordeaux Pilgrim, pp. 45 fif., where, however, this reference is
omitted. See also 'City of Jerusalem,' Note, pp. 65 fif.
CONCE INNING THE HOLY PLACES. 71
filled with winter showers, while the other is discoloured
with red water. From that face of Mount Sion which looks
eastwards, where the rock is precipitous, there rushes out
within the walls and in the roots of the hill, the Fountain of
Siloa, which flows southwards with an alternating access of
waters, that is, not in a perpetual flow, but boiling up at
certain hours and days, and coming through the hollows of
the earth and the caves of hardest rock with a great noise.
In the higher part of Mount Sion, many cells of p. 20.
monks surround a large church, built, as they affirm, by the
Apostles on the spot where they received the Holy Spirit,
and where St. Mary died ; this is also the venerable site
of the Supper of the Lord. There is also, standing in the
middle of the church, a marble column, to which the Lord
was bound when He was scourged. The form of this church
is said to be as is drawn below.^
There is shown a rock, above which the sainted p. 20.
proto-martyr Stephen was stoned without the city ; while in
the middle of Jerusalem, on the spot where a dead p. 16, 17.
man came to life again when the Cross of the Lord was
placed on him, stands a lofty column, which throws no
shadow at the summer solstice, whence it is thought that
this is the middle of the earth, as is said in history ; * But
God, our King, before the ages has wrought salvation in
the midst of the earth.' Influenced by this opinion, Vic-
torinus also, one of the chief men of the Church of Pettau,^
writing about Golgotha, begins thus :
* There is a spot we hold the midst of all the world ;
In their own tongue the Jews call it Golgotha.'
^ yT/., Pc.^ give a drawing of the church.
2 This is the only authority for attributing these, or any other,
extant verses to St. Victorinus, Bishop of Pattau, in Upper Pannonia,
martyred under Diocletian (?;. See Smith's * D ct. of Christian Biog.,'
iv., p. 1 1 28.
72 THE VENERABLE BEDE
IV. — The Napkin of the Head of the Lord, and
ANOTHER LARGER LiNEN CLOTH WOVEN BY ST. MaRY.
pp. 12-15. After the Resurrection of the Lord, the napkin
that had been about His head was stolen by a Jew, who
soon after became a true Christian and retained it by him till
his death, and who meanwhile became rich. When dying,
pp. II, 12, 13. he asks his sons, which of them wished to receive
the napkin of the Lord, which to possess the rest of his
father's wealth. The elder chose the earthly treasure, the
younger the napkin. And straightway the former decreases
until the elder son comes to poverty ; while with faith his
brother's wealth increases, and his faithful descendants
therefore retained it even to the fifth generation. After-
wards it came into the possession of impious persons, whose
"^ wealth it so greatly increased that it occasioned great
quarrels for a long time; the Christian Jews claiming to
be the heirs of Christ, while unbelieving Jews claimed to
be the heirs of their fathers ; until, after long contention,
Mauvias,^ the King of the Saracens in our own time, was
called on to act as judge. Lighting a great fire, he prays
4- to Christ to judge who was worthy to possess this napkin
which He had deigned to wear about His head for their
salvation. He then cast it into the fire, when it was
snatched suddenly and flew upwards, and remained for
a very long time at a great height, flying in the air as if at
play, and at last, while all were gazing on it from both
sides, it descended lightly and deposited itself in the bosom
of one of the Christians, being saluted and kissed immedi-
ately by the whole people with the greatest reverence. It
p. 16. is eight feet in length. Another linen cloth of
1 In other MSS., * Majuuias,' * Mauuras,' ' Moawieh.' See p. 14,
note I.
CONCERNING THE HOLY PLACES. 75
much larger size, is venerated in the church, which is said
to have been woven by St. Mary, having the likenesses of
the twelve Apostles and of the Lord Himself, one side
being red and the other green.
v.— The Places round Jerusalem, the Valley of
JosAPHAT, HIS Sepulchre and those of others,
THE Church in which St. Mary was buried.
Round Jerusalem the ground is rough and p. 22.
mountainous. Hence to the north, as far as Arimathia, the
ground is rocky and rough, though not quite continuously,
while thorny valleys lie towards the Tanitic region ; while
towards Cesarea of Palestine from ^lia, although some
narrow, small, rough spots are found, yet, for the most
part, the ground is a level plain, with olive groves scattered
over it. These places are seventy-five miles distant from
each other, while the length of the Land of Promise from
Dan to Bersabee extends over 160 miles, from Joppa to
Bethlehem being forty-six miles.
Next the wall of the Temple or of Jerusalem on p. 22.
the east is Gehennon, or the Valley of Josaphat, stretching
from north to south, through which the torrent of Cedron runs,
at least when it receives water from the rains. This valley
is a small plain, watered, and wooded, and full of delights,
and once had in it a grove^ sacred to Baal. In this p. 18.
is the Tower of King Josaphat, containing his sepulchre; on
its right hand is a separate building hewn out of the rock of
Mount Olivet, containing two rock-hewn sepulchres, being
those of the aged Simeon and of Joseph, the spouse of St.
Mary. In this same valley is the round Church of p. 17.
St. Mary, divided in two by a stone vaulting, having four
altars in the upper part, and in the lower portion one altar to
* Others, 'and spot.'
74 THE VENERABLE BEDE
the east, and on its right hand an empty tomb, in which St.
Mary is said to have rested for some time ; but by whom,
and when, the body was taken away is unknown. Those
who enter this see on the right, inserted in the wall, the
rock on which the Lord prayed on the night in which He
was betrayed, the marks of His knees being impressed as if
in soft wax.
VI. — The place where Judas was hanged, and
ACHELDEMAC.
p. ig. Those going out by the Gate of David find a
bridge^ stretching southwards across the valley, at the middle
of which, on the west side, Judas is said to have hanged
himself For here stands a fig tree of great size and of
very great age, alluding to which Juvencus says :
' From fig-tree top he snatched a shapeless death.*
p. 21. Further on is Acheldemac, on the south of Mount
Sion, where strangers^ and other persons of no note are still
buried, while others putrefy there unburied.
vn.— The Mount of Olivet, and the Church
BUILT THERE, WHERE THE LORD ASCENDED INTO
THE Heavens — the Tomb of Lazarus, and a
THIRD Church.
pp. 21, 22. The Mount of Olives, which is a mile distant from
Jerusalem, is equal to Mount Sion in height, but excels it
in length and breadth. With the exception of vines and
olives, the ground is almost destitute of trees, but it is
fertile in corn and barley, and the quality of the soil is suit-
able for grass and flowers, not for trees. On its summit,
where the Lord ascended to heaven, is a round church
of large size, having in its circuit three vaulted porticoes
1 Others, 'fountain,' ^ Or 'pilgrims' ; see p. 2i, note 2.
CONCERNING THE HOLY PLACES, 75
covered over above. For the interior of the house pp. 22-24.
could not be vaulted over or covered, on account of the
passage (Ascension) of the Lord's body from that spot ; it
has an altar towards the east, protected by a narrow roof;
in the centre of it are seen the last footprints of the Lord,
under the open heaven, where He ascended. And although
the earth is daily carried away by the believing, they none
the less remain and still retain the same appearance of their
own, as if marked by impressed footsteps. Around these
lies a hollow brass cylinder as high as one's neck,^ with an
entrance from the west, while a great lamp is hung above it
by pulleys, burning the whole night and day. In the western
side of that church are eight windows and the same number
of lamps hung by ropes opposite to them ; their light is shed
through the glass as far as Jerusalem, and is said to smite
the hearts of the beholders with a certain eagerness and
compunction. On the day of the Ascension of the Lord
each year, after Mass is performed, a storm of strong wind
comes down regularly and lays prostrate on the ground all
that are in the church. On that night so many lamps are
lighted there, that the mountain and the places at its foot
appear not only to be illuminated but even to be on fire.
We have thought it right to give a drawing of this church
below.^
The Tomb of Lazarus is pointed out by a church pp. 26, 27.
built there, and by a large monastery, in a certain plain
of Bethany, surrounded by a great wood of olives. Now
Bethany is fifteen furlongs distant from Jerusalem. There
is also a third church on the same mountain, towards the
southern side of Bethany, where the Lord spoke to His
disciples before the Passion about the Day of Judgment.
^ Others, * head and neck,' or only * head.'
- The drawing is wanting in almost all MSS.
76 THE VENERABLE BEDE
VIII. — The Situation of Bethlehem, the Church
UPON THE Place where the Lord was born, the
Sepulchres of David and Hieronymus and the
Three Shepherds, and also that of Rachel.
pp. 28, 29. Bethlehem, which lies six milesi southwards from
Jerusalem, is situated on a narrow ridge, which is surrounded
on all sides by valleys, and is a mile long from west to east,
a low wall without towers being built right round the level
summit. In the eastern corner of this is a sort of natural
half cave, the exterior of which is said to have been the
place of the Nativity of the Lord, while the interior is called
the Manger of the Lord. This cave, the interior of which
is wholly covered over with precious marble, has, above the
exact spot where the Lord is said to have been 'born, the
p. 29. large Church of St. Mary. A rock, hollowed out
close to the wall, still preserves the water in which the Body
of the Lord was first washed, which it caught as it was
thrown from the wall ; and this water, if it should be
exhausted either by accident or intentionally, is always
restored to its full extent even while you look at it.
p. 30. To the north of Bethlehem, in the neighbouring
valley, the Sepulchre of David is covered over in the middle
of a church by a low stone, with a lamp placed above it ;
while to the south, in a neighbouring valley, there is in a
church the Sepulchre of St. Hieronymus. In this I have
followed the account given by Arculf, a Bishop of the
Gauls. But Esdras writes clearly, that David was buried
in Jerusalem.
p. 31. Farther to the east in the Tower of Ader, that
IS, of the flock, a mile from the city, is a church containing
the tombs of the shepherds who were informed of the
Nativity of the Lord. A royal road leads from ^lia to
^ The real dibtance is five English miles.
CONCERNING THE HOLY PLACES. 77
Chebron, leaving Bethlehem to the east, and to the west
the Sepulchre of Rachel, still signed with the inscription
of her name.
IX. — The Situation of Hebron, Mambre, and the
Tomb of the Patriarchs and of Adam, the
Pine Wood.
Hebron is situated along a plain, twenty-two pp. 32. 33.
miles from -^lia. A furlong to the east, it has a double
cave in a valley, where the Sepulchres of the Patriarchs are
surrounded by a rectangular wall, their heads turned to the
north, each of them covered with one stone hewn like a
Basilica, the stone being white in the case of the Patriarchs,
darker and of commoner workmanship in Adam's, who lies
not far from them towards the north end of that wall.
Poorer and smaller monuments of their three wives are also
seen. The hill of Mambre, a mile to the north of p. 33.
these tombs, is very grassy and flowery, having a level plain
at the summit, in the northern part of which is the oak of
Abraham, surrounded by a church, its trunk being the height
of two men. Those coming from Hebron north- p.34-
wards, have on their left hand a mountain of small extent
covered with pines, three miles from Hebron, whence pine
wood is carried to Jerusalem on camels ; for in all Judea
carts or waggons are rare.
X.— Jericho and its Holy Places, Galgal and the
Fountain of Heliseus, the Great Plain.
Jericho is nineteen^ miles to the east of ^lia, and p. 35.
as it has been levelled to the ground three times, only the
house of Raab remains, as a sign of her faith ; for its walls
are still standing, though without a roof. The site of the
city produces corn and vines. Between it and the Jordan,
1 O., Pc.^ have ' 14,000 feet ;' Pa^ * 18 miles.*
78 THE VENERABLE BEDE
which is five or six miles from it, there are great palnr
groves, with open spaces left, which are inhabited by
p. 36. Chananeans. The twelve stones which Josua ordered
to be taken from the Jordan lie in a church at Galgal built
just within the walls ; they are so large that one of them can
now scarcely be lifted by two men ; while one of them has
been broken by some unknown accident, but has been joined
together again by an iron band. Close to Jericho is a copious
fountain of drinking-water, good for irrigating purposes,
which was once sterile and unhealthy for drinking, but was
healed by Heliseus the prophet, when he cast salt into it. It
is surrounded by a plain seventy furlongs in length, and
twenty in breadth, in which are marvellously fair gardens,
with many varieties of palms^ and most excellent breeds
of bees. There the opobalsamum is produced, which we
name thus with an affix because the husbandmen, with
sharp stones, cut slender channels through the bark, in
which the balsam is generated, so that the sap, after
distilling slowly through those caverns, collects in beauti-
fully bedewed tears ; and a cavern is called in Greek oV?),
Ope. Here, they say, the Cyprus and the myrobalanus'^
1' Apples,' P^.
2 It is impossible to identify exactly the trees referred to. (i) The
name Opobalsamum^ given to the sap extracted from the Balsam tree,
is not derived from ottj), a hole^ but from o-koq^ pace, the milky juice
flowing from a plant, either naturally or by incision. The Hebrew
word for the balsam, tsori, is derived from the root, meaning '"fissure^
referring to the practice of drawing it from the tree in this way. But
it is much disputed what is the real Balsam tree, and whether the tree
from which the Balm of Gilead was obtained w^as also the Balsani
tree of Jericho. (2) The Cyprus tree (the camphire of Cant. i. 14,
iv. 13) probably derives its name from the Hebrew Kaphar, to cover
ox paint. It is the Arabic Hernia, a red stain much used for the nails
being made from its dry leaves. It is the Lawsonia Inerinis. (3) The
Myrobalanus is variously identified. Either it or the Balsam tree
may be the Zackum tree, variously named Elceagims angustifolia and
Balanites /Egyptiaca, the oil obtained from which is highly esteemed
CONCERNING THE HOLY PLACES. 79
grow. The water, as in some other fountains, but here
more especially, is cold in summer, tepid in winter; the air
is milder, so that in the depth of winter linen clothing is
worn. The city itself is built in a plain, and is overhung
by an extensive mountain, bare of anything fruitful : for
the soil of the country is barren, and therefore it is without
inhabitants. A wide extent of country stretches from
the district of the city of Scythopolis to that of Sodom and
the Asphaltic region. Opposite this, a mountain extends
above the Jordan, from the city of Julias to Zoar,i which
is conterminous with Arabia Petraea, where there is a
mountain called Ferreus. Between these two mountains
stretches a plain, which the ancients called * the Great,' or
in Hebrew, ' Aulon,' 230 furlongs in length, 120 in breadth,
extending from the village of Gennabara to the Asphaltic
Lake. The Jordan intersects it, with banks verdant from
the watering of the river, the trees upon its banks being
much more fruitful than elsewhere, where they are more
barren ; for all the land beyond the bank of the river is dry.
XI. — The Jordan and the Sea of Galilee.
The Jordan is commonly supposed to rise in the pp. 39. 40.
province of Phenicia, at the roots of Mount Lebanon, where
Paneum, that is, Cesarea Philippi, is situated. For this reason
we learn that Paneum, that is, ' the grotto/ through which the
Jordan flows, was constructed and adorned with admirable
beauty by King Agrippa. There is, however, in the district
of Trachonitis a fountain resembling a disc,^ whence it has
received the name of Phiala ; it is fifteen miles from Caesarea,
by the Arabs as a cure for wounds. It grows near Jericho. This may
not improbably be the Myrobalainis^ while the Balsam tree may be
the Cistus Cretiais. — Abbot Daniel, p. 8, note 4.
^ See p. 39, note i.
- ' Rota.' ' The reference is apparently to the sun's disc, often called
rota.'-- C. W. W.
8o THE VENERABLE BEDE
and is so constantly full of water, that it never overflows and
never diminishes. Into this Philip, the tetrarch of the region ,
cast straws, which the river cast up in Paneum. Whence it
follows that the source of the Jordan is in Phiala, but that
it flows through subterranean channels to Paneum, where it
begins to be visible as a river ; soon entering the lake, it
intersects its marshes ; thence it directs its course for fifteen^
miles without receiving any addition, to the city called
Julias ; afterwards it flows through the middle of the Lake
of Genezar, whence, after passing many places, it enters the
Asphaltic, that is the Dead Sea, and there loses its famous
p. 38. waters. It is of a white colour, like milk, and on this
account is recognised for a long distance in the Dead
pp. 40. 41. Sea. Now Genezar, that is, the Sea of Galilee, is
surrounded by great woods ; it is 140 furlongs in length,
40 in breadth ; the water is sweet and good for drinking,
since it receives nothing thick with marsh mud or turbid,
because it is surrounded on all sides by a sandy shore. It
is surrounded also by agreeable towns, — on the east by
Julias and Hippo, on the west by Tiberias, which is healthy
from its hot waters ; the kinds of fish are better as regards
taste and appearance than in any other lake.
XII. — The Dead Sea, and its Nature, and that of
THE Neighbouring District.
p. 39. The Dead Sea extends 5802 furlongs in length to
Zoar of Arabia, 150 in breadth to the neighbourhood of
Sodom ; for it is most certain that after the burning of Sodom
and Gomorrha and the neighbouring cities, it flowed in from
what were once wells of salt. It is seen also by those look-
p. 41. ing towards it from afar, from the watch-tower of
p. 38. Mount Olivet ; because the colliding movement of
the waves casts out the most salt salt, which is dried by the
1 ' Twelve,' Pc, ^ * Five hundred and eight,' Pb.
CONCERNING THE HOL Y PL A CES. 8 (
sun, and used by many nations. There is further said to be
salt, in a mountain of Sicily, where stones turned out of the
ground supply a true salt, most useful for all purposes, which
is known as Earth Salt. The Sea is called ' Dead ' because it
does not contain any kind of living creatures, whether fish
or such birds as are met with beside water, while bulls and
camels float on it.^ Finally, if the Jordan has been swollen
by rain and has carried down fishes in its flood, they
die immediately and float above the oily waters. They say
that a lighted lamp floats above it unchanged,^ and does not
sink so as to put out the light, while if a vessel has been
submerged by any device it can scarcely be caused to
remain in the depths, and all living creatures even if
submerged and vehemently beaten down, at once rise to the
surface : while finally, they say that Vespasian ordered men
who could not swim, to have their hands bound and then
to be thrown into the deep, and they floated above
it. The water is barren^ and bitter, and darker than
other waters, and produces a sort of parched feeling. It is
certain that lumps of bitumen float in a black liquid on the
water, which they collect in boats. The bitumen is said to
adhere to them so that it cannot be cut off even by iron
tools, yielding only to menstruous blood or urine. It is
useful for caulking joints in ships and for healing the human
body. The district still retains the appearance of the
punishment (of the Cities of the Plain) ; for very beautiful
apples grow there, which excite among spectators a desire
to eat them, but when plucked, they burst and are reduced
to ashes, and give rise to smoke as if they were still burn-
ing. Also in summer an immoderate amount of vapour
^ Pd. reads, ' while bitumen floats on it resembling gold and a camel
in appearance.'
- The same MS. reads, ' unchanged, so that the light can neither be
sprinkled nor be submerged, because if a vessel,' etc.
^ Probably ' unprofitable,' useless for drinking.
6
82 THE VENERABLE BEDE
steams up over the plains, while the unhealthy drought and
the dryness of the soil unite to corrupt the air and destroy
the inhabitants with deplorable diseases.
XIII. — The Place where the Lord was Baptized.
pp. 36-38. At the place where the Lord was baptized, a wooden
cross stands, as high as one's neck, which is often hidden
by the rising of the water ; the further or eastern bank is
as far distant from it as one can sling a stone, while the
nearer bank has on the top of a hill the great monastery of
the Blessed John Baptist, the church of which is celebrated,
from which people are wont to pass down to that cross
by a bridge raised on arches, and pray. At the edge
of the river is a square church built on four stone vaults,
covered over above with slacked lime,i where the garments
worn by the Lord when He was baptized, are said to be
preserved. This, men do not usually enter, but the^ waves
surround and penetrate it. From the point where the
Jordan issues from the ravine of the Sea of Galilee to that
where it enters the Dead Sea, is eight^ days' journey.
XIV, — The Locusts and the Wild Honey, and the
Fountain of John the Baptist.
p. 43. There seems to have been a very small kind of
locust, which John the Baptist fed upon, and which is still
found, with a thin short body like the finger of a hand, which
is easily taken in the grass, and is used for food by the
poor, when cooked in oil. In the same desert there are trees
with broad round leaves of the colour of milk and the
taste of honey, which being naturally fragile, are rubbed in
the hands and eaten. This is what is called *wild
1 See p. 38, note i.
2 ' But on all sides they surround,' Pc; ' enter or descend thence/ O,
3 ' Fifteen,' Pb.
CONCERNING THE HOLY PLACES. 83
honey/ In the same place the fountain of St. John
Baptist is shown, the water being clear ; it is protected by
a stone covering besmeared with lime.
XV.— The Fountain of Jacob near Sicfiem.
Near the city of Sichem, which is now called pp. 41, 42-
Neapolis, is a four-armed church, that is, one built in the
form of a cross, in the middle^ of which is the Fountain of
Jacob, forty cubits in height, which the Lord honoured by
asking water from it from the woman of Samaria.
XVI. — Tiberias and Capharnaum and Nazareth
AND the Holy Places there.
The place where the Lord blessed the bread and p. 43-
the fish is on this side of the Sea of Galilee, to the north of
the city of Tiberias : a grassy level plain which has never
since been ploughed, and which has no buildings on it,
showing only a fountain from which they drank. Those
who come from ^lia to Capharnaum pass through p. 44.
Tiberias, and thence along the Sea of Galilee and the place
where the bread was blessed : not far from which is Caphar-
naum, on the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim, having no
wall, situated in a narrow space between the mountain and
the lake above the sea shore, extending for a long distance
eastv/ards, having the mountain on the north, and the lake
on the south. Nazareth has no walls, but great p. 45-
buildings and two large churches. One in the middle of the
city is founded on two vaults, where once there was the
house in which the Lord was nourished in His infancy.
This church, as has been said, is raised on two mounds, with
arches interposed, having down below among these mounds
^ Tobler omits as unintelligible ' stretching from the side to the end
of the fingers.' See p. 42.
6—2
84 THE VENERABLE BEDE
a very clear fountain, from which all the citizens draw their
water in vessels by means of pulleys. There is another
church, where the house was in which the angel came to
Mary.
XVII. — Mount Tabor and the Three Churches
ON IT.
p. 46. Mount Tabor, in the middle of the plain of Galilee,
rises up to the north at a^ distance of three miles from the
Sea of Genezareth ; it is completely round, very grassy and
flowery, 30 furlongs in height. Its summit forms a very
pleasant level surface of 232 furlongs, where is a large
monastery surrounded by a large wood, having three
churches, according to what Peter said, * Let us make here
three tabernacles.' The place is surrounded by a wall, and
has great buildings.
XVIII. — The Situation of Damascus.
p. 47- Damascus is situated in a wide plain, with an
ample circuit of walls, and is fortified by frequent towers ;
four great rivers flow through it. While the Christians
frequent the Church of St. John Baptist, the king of the
Saracens with his people has built and consecrated another.
There are a very large number of olive groves round the
city outside the walls. From Tabor to Damascus is seven
days' journey.
XIX. — The Situation of Alexandria, the Church
IN which Mark the Evangelist rests, and the
Nile.
pp. 48-51. Alexandria is a long city from west to east,
surrounded on the south by the mouths of the Nile, on the
^ Several MSS. here mention the tribe of Manasseh. 2 <- 2^^ pb^
CONCERNING THE HOLY PLACES. 85
north by the Egyptian Sea/ having a harbour more difficult
than others, in form Hke the human body — more capacious
at the head and the roads, but narrower in the straits, where it
receives the sea and ships in movement, by which some aids
to breathing are given to the port. When one has escaped
the narrows and the mouths of the harbour, a stretch of sea
spreads out far and wide like the rest of the human form.
On the right side of the port is a small island, on which
stands Pharus, that is, a very large tower, which burns
during the night with the flames of torches, lest sailors
should be deceived in the darkness and fall upon rocks, or
fail to recognise the boundary of the entrance, because it
is always unquiet, with waves always breaking. But the
harbour is always calm ; it is thirty furlongs in extent.
Those entering the city from the Egyptian side pp. 51, 52.
are met on the right hand by a Church, in which rests the
blessed Evangelist Mark. His body is buried in the
eastern end of that church before the altar, a square marble
monument being placed above the spot.
Around the Nile the Egyptians are in the habit p- 52.
of making frequent ramparts on account of the irruption of
the waters, which, should they be broken by the careless-
ness of the guardians, instead of irrigating, ruin the under-
lying ground. And because the Egyptians inhabit the
plains, they build their houses upon the banks of the
waters, supporting them on transverse beams.
XX.— Constantinople, and the Basilica in that
City which contains the Cross of the Lord.
Constantinople is surrounded on all sides except p- 53-
the north by the Great Sea, extending sixty miles from it
to the wall of the city, and forty miles from the wall of the
city to the mouths of the Danube ; it is surrounded by
Most MSS., ' By the Mareotic Lake.'
86 THE VENERABLE BEDE
a circuit of walls twelve miles in length, with angles corre-
p. 54- spending to the sea-board. At first Constantine
had fixed to build it^ by the sea which separates Asia from
Europe ; but one night all the tools were taken away,
and they were found by those sent to look for them, on
the European side, where the city now is ; for it was thus
understood to be God's will that it should be built there.
pp. 55-57- In this city is a church of marvellous workman-
ship, called St. Sophia, constructed from the foundation on
a round plan and vaulted, surrounded by three walls, and
supported by great columns and raised on arches, the in-
terior of which has in its northern end a large and exceed-
ingly beautiful ambry, in which is a wooden chest covered
with a wooden covering, which contains three parts of the
Cross of the Lord, viz., the long beam cut into two parts
and the cross beam of that Holy Cross. This is brought
out to be adored by the people on only three days of the
year, that is, on [the day of] the Supper of the Lord, on the
Day of Preparation and on [the day of] the Holy Sabbath,^
when the first chest is laid opened on the golden altar (it is
two cubits in height and one in breadth) with the Holy
Cross. The Emperor first approaches and adores and
kisses the Holy Cross, then all ranks of the laity in order ;
on the next day the Empress and all the matrons and
virgins do the same ; while on the third day the Bishops
and all ranks of the clergy do the same ; and so the
chest is again closed and carried back to the above-named
ambry. But as long as it remains open upon the altar,
a marvellous odour pervades the whole church ; for from
the knots of the holy wood there flows a sweet-smelling
liquid like oil, of which if any sick person touch a particle,
it heals all his sickness.
1 'In Cilicia' in some MSS.
2 That is to say, on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the
Saturday before Easter.
CONCERNING THE HOLY PLACES. 87
XXI. — Epilogue.
In this account of the holy places, I have, as far as I
could, followed trustworthy histories, and especially that of
Arculf, a Bishop of Gaul, which the presbyter Adamnan,
one most learned in the Scriptures, has written in three
books in the Latin language. The prelate I have men-
tioned, leaving his own country, from his desire after the
holy places, went to the land of promise, and there stayed
some months in Jerusalem, using an aged monk, Peter
by name, equally as guide and as interpreter, and visited
in his course all the places he had so vividly longed to see,
not to speak of Alexandria, Damascus, Constantinople, and
Sicily. But when he wished to revisit his native country,
the ship in which he sailed was, after many wanderings,
brought by a contrary wind to our island of Britain, and
at length after many dangers he came to the venerable
man of whom we have spoken, Adamnan, to whom he gave
an account of his journey and of what he saw, and whom
he thus taught to become the writer of a most excellent
history. From this we have culled some parts and com-
pared them with the books of the ancients, and we transmit
them to thee to read, entreating through all that thou be
careful to temper the labour of the present age, not by the
ease of a lascivious body, but by zeal in reading and in
prayer.
APPENDIX.
TRANSLATION OF PORTIONS OF 'ARCULF'S NARRATIVE,'
FROM PROFESSOR WILLIS' ' HOLY SEPULCHRE.'
[IVz'/h'ajns' *" Holy City^ vol. ii.: London^ 1849.]
Of THE Church of the Sepulchre of the Lord.
(Pages 5, 6 ; cap. i., last sentence, and cap. ii.)
• Concerning these things we dih'gently interrogated the
holy Arculfus, and especially about the Sepulchre of the
Lord, and the church constructed above it, of which he
delineated the form for me upon a waxen tablet. This
great church, all of stone, of wondrous rotundity on all
sides, arising from its foundation in three walls, has a broad
passage between each wall and the next. In three
ingeniously constructed places of the middle wall three
altars are disposed, one looking to the south, another to
the north, and the third towards the west ; and this round
and lofty church is sustained by twelve columns of
wondrous magnitude, and it has eight doors or entrances
formed by three walls erected in the intermediate spaces
between the passages. Of these, four are turned to the
south-east, and the other four to the north-east.' — * Holy
City/ ii. 259.
(Pages 6-9, capp. iii., iv.)
*Tn the centre of this circular church is situated a round
cabin {tegurium)^ cut out of a single piece of rock, within
APPENDIX. 89
which there is space for nine men to stand and pray. The
vaulted roof is about a foot and ahalf above the head
of a man of no short stature. The entrance of this h'ttle
chamber is to the east. The whole of its exterior surface
is covered with choice marble, and the highest part of its
outer roof, ornamented with gold, sustains a golden cross
of no small magnitude. The Sepulchre of the Lord is in
the north part of the chamber, and is cut out of the same
rock as it, but the pavement of the chamber is lower than
the place of sepulture ; for there is an altitude of about
three palms from the pavement to the lateral edge of the
sepulchre. ... By the SepidcJire^ properly so called, is
meant that place in the north part of the monumental
chamber, in which the body, wrapped in linen clothes, was
deposited, the length of which Arculfus measured with his
own hand as seven feet. Which sepulchre is not^ as some
erroneously imagine, hollowed out into a double form {i.e.^
in the shape of the body), having a projection left from the
solid rock, between and separating the legs and thighs, but
is simple and plain from the head to the feet, and is a
couch affording room for one man lying on his back. It is
in the manner of a cave, having its opening at the side, and
opposite the south part of the monumental chamber. The
low roof is artificially wrought above it. In this sepulchre
twelve lamps, according to the number of the twelve holy
Apostles, burn day and night continually, of which four are
placed below in the inner part of that sepulchral couch,
and the other eight above, over the margin on the right
side. . . . This chamber of the Lord's monument, not
being covered within by any ornaments, exhibits to this
day the marks of the workmen's tools by which it was
excavated. The colour of the rock of the monument and
sepulchre is not uniform, but a mixture of red and white.'
—'Holy City,' ii. 174, 175.
90 APPENDIX,
Of the Church of St. Mary.
(Page 9, cap. v.)
' The quadrangular church of Holy Mary, the Mother of
the Lord, is joined on the right side to that round church
described above, and which is called Anastasis, or Resur-
rection, because it is constructed on the place of the Lord's
resurrection.'
Of the Church of Calvary.
(Pages 9, lo, cap. vi.)
'Another church, of great magnitude, is constructed
towards the east in that place which is called Golgotha.
In its upper parts there hangs by ropes a certain brazen
rota with lamps, beneath which a great silver cross is
infixed in the very same place where formerly the wooden
cross, on which the Saviour of mankind suffered, was fixed
and stood.
* In the same church there is a cave cut out of the rock
beneath the place of the Lord's cross, where the sacrifice
is offered upon an altar for the souls of certain honoured
persons, whose bodies, meanwhile, lying in the street, are
placed before the door of the said Golgothan Church, until
the holy mysteries for the defunct are finished,
Of the Basilica of Constantine.
(Pages lo, II, capp. vii., viii.)
*To this church, constructed upon a quadrangular plan in
the place of Calvary, there adjoins on the eastern side that
neighbouring stone basilica, erected with great magnificence
by the royal Constantine, called also the Martyrium, which
was located, as they say, in the place where the cross of
our Lord, with the other two crosses of the thieves, con-
APPENDIX,
91
cealed under the earth, was found by the gift of the Lord,
after two hundred and thirty-three years. Between these
two churches occurs that famous place where Abraham the
Patriarch erected an altar for the sacrifice of Isaac . .
where now there stands a small wooden table upon which
people offer alms for the poor. . . . Between the * Anas-
tasis,' that is, the above-described church, and the Basilica
of Constantine is a small court, extending as far as the
Golgothan Church, in which court lamps are kept con-
stantly burning day and night.'
Of the other Exedra in the Church of Calvary.
(Pages II, 12, cap. ix.)
'Between the Golgothan Church and the Martyrium
is a certain " Exedra," or apse, in which is the cup. This
Arculfus goes on to describe as the cup of the Last Supper,'
and also to state that he saw the * sponge ' and the * lance.'
— * Holy City,' ii., 259-261,
THE END.
BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS, GUILDFORU.
The Right Rev. W. R. Brownlow, Bishop of Clifton, writes with
reference to 'The Hodoeporicon of St. Willibald,' which he
kindly translated and edited for the Palestine Pilgrims' Text
Society, that, when visiting Lucca last November, he saw the
tomb of St. Richard, the father of St. Willibald. On the front of
his altar there is an inscription enclosed in a circle as follows :
DIVI
RICARDI
REGIS . OSSA
ET.CINERES
* I could not discover any fragment of the Inscription copied by
Evelyn in 1645. There was an old worm-eaten copy of it, printed
on paper, and mounted on a board. The old Church of St. Fre-
dianOjt Irish Finnian, is extremely interesting, and dates from the
sixt century ; as also is the Cathedral.
' I thought you might be interested to know that St. Richard,
whom Mr. Kerslake makes out was King of Crediton, is still
known at Lucca.'
Palestine pilgrims' %txi (Sodetg.
THE HODCEPORICON
OF
SAINT WILLIBALD.
(Circa 754 a.d.)
REV. CANON BROWNLOW, M.A.,
TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.
LONDON :
24, HANOVER SQUARE, W.
1895.
CONTENTS.
PAGB
INTRODUCTION . . . , , . vii
PROLOGUE . . . . . .1
I. HOW IT IS PROPOSED TO WRITE THE LIFE . . 3
II. WHILE AN INFANT HE IS ATTACKED WITH A
GRIEVOUS ILLNESS . . . . .3
in. HIS PARENTS PROMISE FOR THEIR CHILD THAT HE
SHOULD LEAD A MONASTIC LIFE . . .4
IV. ON THE CHILDHOOD OF WILLIBALD ; HE IS TAKEN
TO THE MONASTERY OF WALDHEIM . . .4
V. HE PERSEVERES IN SACRED LEARNING, AND IN THE
LIFE OF A MONK . . . . .5
VL PILGRIMAGE COMES INTO HIS MIND . . .5
VII. HIS FATHER CONSENTS, AND, TOGETHER WITH HIS
SON WUNEBALD, ENTERS INTO THE DESIGN OF
GOING ABROAD . . . . .6
VIII. ON WILLIBALD'S CROSSING OVER, HIS JOURNEY TO
ROME : HAMEL-MOUTH, THE SEINE, ROUEN, THE
GORTHONIC LAND, LUCCA, THE BASILICA OF ST.
PETER ....... 6
IX. ROME : THEY SUFFER FROM FEVER . . .8
X. TERRACINA, GAIETA, NAPLES, RHEGIUM, CATANA,
MOUNT ETNA, SYRACUSE . . . .9
XI. THE ADRIATIC SEA, MONEMBASIA, CHIOS, SAMOS,
EPHESUS, PHYGALA, HIERAPOLIS, PATARA, MILETUS,
CHELIDONIUM, CYPRUS, PAPHOS, CONSTANTIA . JO
XII. ANTARARDUS, ARCA, EMESA : CAPTIVITY . .12
XIII. DAMASCUS, GHANA, MOUNT TABOR . . . 15
XIV. TIBERIAS, MAGDALUM, CAPHARNAUM, BETHSAIDA,
CHOROZAIN . . • • . .16
CONTENTS.
PAGE
XV. JOR AND DAN, THE JORDAN, THE POOLS OF MEROM,
CESAREA PHILIPPI . . . . . l6
XVI. MONASTERY AND CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
BY THE JORDAN, BAPTISM IN THIS RIVER, THE
FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY . , . . I7
XVII. GALGALA, JERICHO, MONASTERY OF ST. EUTHYMIUS . 1 8
XVIII. JERUSALEM, THE CHURCH AND CROSSES IN THE
PLACE OF CALVARY, THE GARDEN WITH THE
SEPULCHRE OF OUR SAVIOUR, AND THE WONDER-
FUL HOUSE . . . . . .19
XIX. WILLIBALD SICK, THE CHURCH OF HOLY SION, SOLO-
MON'S PORCH, THE POOL OF PROBATICA . . 20
XX. THE COLUMN IN MEMORY OF THE PLACE WHERE
THE JEWS WISHED TO CARRY OFF THE BODY OF
HOLY MARY ; HER TRANSLATION IN HOLY SION . 21
XXI. THE VALLEY OF JOSAPHAT, THE CHURCH AND TOMB
OF HOLY MARY, THE CHURCH WHERE OUR LORD
PRAYED, THE CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION ON
MOUNT OLIVET. . . . . .21
XXII. THE PLACE OF THE SHEPHERDS, BETHLEHEM, THE
CAVE AND CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD 22
XXIII. THECUA, THE LAURA AND MONASTERY OF ST. SABA . 23
XXIV. THE LITTLE CHURCH WHERE PHILIP BAPTIZED THE
EUNUCH, GAZA, ST. MATTHIAS, ST. ZACHARIAS,
HEBRON . . . . . . .23
XXV. JERUSALEM, DIOSPOLIS (AT ST. GEORGE), CHURCH OF
ST. PETER IN JOPPE, THE GREAT SEA, TYRE, SIDON,
TRIPOLI, MOUNT LIBANUS, DAMASCUS, CESAREA
PHILIPPI . . . . . . 24
XXVI. JERUSALEM, EMESA, SALAMAIS (WHERE HE ^WAS SICK
A LONG TIME), AGAIN EMESA, DAMASCUS . . 2$
XXVII. JERUSALEM, SEBASTIA, CHURCH OVER THE WELL
WHERE OUR LORD ASKED WATER FROM THE
WOMAN OF SAMARIA, MOUNT GARIZIM, A LARGE
TOWN . . . . . . .26
XXVIII. THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON, PTOLEMAIS, THE WHITE
PROMONTORY WITH THE TOWER OF LIBANUS, TYRE,
DECEPTION WITH PETROLEUM , , .26
CONTENTS.
PACE
XXIX. CONSTANTINOPLE, NICiEA . . . ,28
XXX. SYRACUSE, CATANA, RHEGIUM, INFERNUS THEODERICI
IN INSULA VULCANI . . . . .29
XXXL THE ISLAND OF LIPARA WITH THE CHURCH OF ST.
BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE; THEN THE MOUNTAINS
OF DIDYMUS, NAPLES, CAPUA, TEANO, CASSINO . 30
XXXII. MONASTERY OF ST. BENEDICT, THE RIVER RAPIDUS,
COMMUNITY LIFE . . . . .31
XXXin. ROME : the pilgrimage ]S BRIEFLY NARRATED
BEFORE THE POPE . . . . .32
XXXIV. THE POPE EXHORTS HIM TO SET OUT TO [JOIN]
ST. BONIFACE . . . . . .32
XXXV. JOURNEY TO LUCCA, TICINO, BRESCIA, CARTA ; TO
ODILO, TO SUITGAR, TO LINTHARD, TO ST. BONIFACE,
EIHSTADT, WHERE IS ST. MARY'S CHURCH . . 33
XXXVI FRISINGA, EIHSTADT, WILLIBALD MADE PRIEST . 33
XXXVII. THURINGIA. AT SALZBURG HE IS ENDUED WITH
THE FULNESS OF THE PRIESTLY DIGNITY. SOME
MATTERS BELONGING TO THE PROLOGUE ARE
INSERTED . . . . . .34
XXXVIII. A MONASTERY IS BUILT AT EIHSTADT : COMMUNITY
LIFE AFTER THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT IS ESTAB-
LISHED . . . . . . .35
XXXIX. CROWDS FLOW FROM ALL SIDES TO THE APOSTLE OF
THE BAVARIANS . . . . .35
XL. A WHOLE PEOPLE WITH CHIEFTAINS WITHOUT NUM-
BER ARE GAINED; PRAISE TO GOD AND TO
WILLIBALD . . . . . .35
THE ITINERARY OF ST. WILLIBALD, BY AN ANONYMOUS
WRITER OF THE EIGHTH CENTURY . . , ^7
ITINERARY OF ST. WILLIBALD, ANONYMOUS • . 38
INDEX , . . . , . . ^7
ILLUSTRATIONS.
MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE ITINERARY OF ST. WILLIBALD E7ld,
MAP OF PALESTINE SHOWING ROUTE OF ST. WILLIBALD End.
INTRODUCTION.
The first English pilgrim to the Holy Land was St. Willi-
bald, afterwards Bishop of Eichstadt, and, through his
mother, nephew to Wynfrith, who is better known as St.
Boniface, the Apostle of Germany. Willibald's mother
was Winna, a connection of Ina, King of Wessex, and his
father was Richard, who bore the title of king, though the
locality of his kingdom has long been a puzzle to anti-
quarians. John Evelyn visited Lucca in 1645, and says of
the church of St. Frediano that it
*is more remarkable to us for the corpse of St. Richard, an English
king, who died here in his pilgrimage towards Rome. This epitaph is
on his tomb :
Hie rex Richardus requiescit, sceptifer, almus :
Rex fuit Anglorum, regnum tenet iste Polorum.
Regnum demisit pro Christo cuncta reliquit.
Ergo Richardum nobis dedit Anglia sanctum.
Hie genitor Sanctse Walburgs Virginis almas
Est Vrillebaldi Sancti simul et Vinebaldi,
Suffragium quorum nobis det regna Polorum.'*
Two accounts of Willibald's pilgrimage have come down
to us. One is the Itinerarium S. Willibaldi, written by
one of the deacons or companions of the Bishop, but whose
name has not been preserved. It is apparently written
from memory, and not finished until after Willibald's death,
» Diary^ May 21, 1645. The W seems to have puzzled the
sculptor.
viii INTRODUCTION.
The other and more valuable account is called the Hodm-
poricon (oSoLTropiKov ^l^XLov — guide-book), written by one
of the nuns of the Abbey of Heidenheim, a monastery
founded by St. Boniface, and presided over by St. Wal-
burga. Although the Hodceporico7i was not completed
until after Willibald's death, the authoress/ an English
lady and a relation of the Bishop, had listened to Willibald
relating his travels, and from his own dictation and with his
approval, in the presence of two deacons, who were fellow-
listeners, had taken down these narratives on paper. The
style is unpolished ; she indulges in occasional digressions,
and is given to heaping up a number of adjectives to
emphasize her meaning. But one can read between the
lines the eager curiosity of the young nun, anxious to know
all she could of the places which were so dear to her heart,
and which the pilgrim had actually visited. The repetitions
and ampliations of the descriptions are evidently the
answers to questions put to him while he was telling his
tale. The first nine chapters of the Hodoeporicon contain
an account of Willibald's childhood and life before he set
out on his pilgrimage, and as these do not concern the
topography of Palestine, it has been thought better to
epitomize them. The portions omitted will be indicated
by ... . The last eight chapters are devoted to his life
after his return to Italy. These are also condensed.
It must be borne in mind that Willibald was an old man
and a great prelate at the time when his narrative was
taken down, and that the biographer, while recounting the
adventures of his youth, had ever before her eyes the
venerable personality of the Bishop. A few words may
help to bring that personality before us, as it impressed
those who knew him in his later years.
» A marginal note on the Paris MS., written in the fifteenth century,
Slates her name to have been Roswida.
INTRODUCTION.
When Willibald was sent by St. Boniface to Eichstadt,
he found it a wild tract of forest, which he had to clear
with his axe, while he preached the Gospel to the roving
tribes who hunted there. The fortieth chapter of the
Hodoeporicon shows the vast change that he effected. As
long as his uncle lived, Willibald was his chancellor, and
sat at his right hand in those great councils which consoli-
dated the reforms carried out by St. Boniface. After his
uncle's martyrdom in 754, Willibald took a leading position
among the bishops, and kept alive the traditions of the
Apostle of Germany through the first twenty years of the
reign of Charlemagne. His own see of Eichstadt was now
a rich and fertile region, studded with towns and villages,
clustering round the numerous churches and monasteries
which his zeal had founded. His thirty-ninth successor in
the see, Philip, gives the following sketch of his character:
' His alms were great, his watchings often, his prayers frequent. He
was perfect in charity and gentleness. His conversation was very
holy ; the openness of his heart was reflected in the placidity of his
face, and its affectionate kindness in the sweetness of his speech ; and
all that pertained to the life eternal he exemplified in deed as he
preached in word.
* His look was majestic and terrible to gainsayers ; awfully severe,
yet adorably kind. His step was stately and grave. When he reproved
by authority, humility tempered the rebuke ; and whilst the frown was
gathering on his brow to threaten the guilty, the kindness of his heart
was pleading for them within. . . . And these graces were so in him
united, that, though his presence was awful, his absence was painful. . ,
His abstinence was very great ; for, from contemplating our Saviour's
sufferings in his pilgrimage and retirement, his heart was so wounded
that tears were his food day and night.'^
He died in the year 785, over eighty years of age, and
his body now rests in his own cathedral church at Eich-
stadt.
The Hodoeporicon was printed by Henry Canisius in his
Lcctiones AntiqucBy of which the best edition is by Basnage,
^ Bolland., Acta SS., July 7.
INTRODUCTION.
in 1603 ; but Canisius seems only to have known one MS.,
now in Paris.
In 1672, Mabillon reprinted it from Canisius in the Acfa
SS. O.S.B., with corrections from Gretser's edition of
Bishop Philip's History of the Bishops of Eichstadt. In
1721, the Bollandists reprinted it again; and T. Tobler, in
1873, incorporated it among his Descriptiones Terrcs Sanctce,
The Itinerarium is likewise printed in all these works.
The present translation is made from the edition of the
last-mentioned author, published in 1879, at Geneva, by
J. G. Fick, for the Societe de V Orient Latin.
The headings of the chapters are evidently by a later
hand, and are not printed either by Canisius or the Bol-
landists.
Canisius has published a third life of St. Willibald, which
he attributes to Reginald, who died Bishop of Eichstadt in
989. Mabillon does not admit it to be the work of that
prelate, who is said to have composed a life in verse. The
life in question only occupies three pages and a half of the
third volume of Basnage's edition of Canisius, and adds
nothing either in the way of information or illustration to
the narratives here translated.
THE HODGEPORICON
OF
SAINT WILLIBALD.
PROLOGUE.
To all reverend and most beloved in Christ . . , priests,
. . . deacons, . . . abbots, and all superiors, whom our kind
Bishop by virtue of his pastoral care was accustomed . . .
to nourish diligently throughout his diocese as his own
children, ... I, unworthy child of the Saxon race, the last
of those who have come hither from their land, who am, in
comparison with those my countrymen, not only in years,
but in virtue also, only a poor little creature. I had made
up my mind to address you, religious and catholic men, . . ,
a few words on the beginning of the early life of the vener-
able man, Willibald. Yet I am but a woman, tainted with
the frailty of my sex, with no pretensions to wisdom or
cleverness to support me, but prompted solely by the
violence of my own will, like a little ignorant child plucking
a few flowers here and there from numerous branches rich
in foliage and in fruit. So I pluck twigs from the lowest
branches with what small skill I possess, and offer these
few things to serve you as a memorial. . . .
But now, first by the grace of God and the greatness of the
venerable man who had seen such great wonders, and next
by the strong assistance of your willing consent and help, I
thought I might ask for [power to fulfil my work]. The
I
THE HODCBPORICON OF
loftiness [of the theme] and the great signs and wonders
which our Lord, for the salvation of the human race, vouch-
safed to do and bring to perfection, by humbling Himself,
by condescending to assume a human body in this world, —
these things were known corporally by the eyes of the
venerable man, Willibald, who with his own feet visited all
[the places], and with the touch of his own hands made
them appear visibly to him. All these matters we shall dwell
upon in our narrative. And not only the wonders which,
by the grace of the Gospel, are proved to us as certain, did
he see, but also those very spots of the earth where our
Lord manifested Himself to us in His Birth, His Passion,
and His Resurrection ; and also other traces of wonders
and powers, which our Lord deigned to produce and spread
abroad in this world, that clear-sighted teacher of us all,
strong in faith, in long journeys by sea and land, searched
out and visited and saw. Hence, if I may say so, it seemed
to me to be shameful that a human tongue should keep all
these things in the obstinacy of a dumb silence with sealed
lips, which our Lord had deigned to reveal to His servant
by the toil of His body, and shown to him by the sight of
His eyes even in our own times. We know that these things
were related to us, not by the indulgence of apocryphal
stories in erratic discourse ; but as we heard them in his
presence relating them to us, we listened, and determined
to write from the dictation of his own mouth, two deacons
being present and listening with me, on the ninth day before
the Kalends of July [June 23], the day before the solstice.
I, an obscure individual, do not undertake this work, O
ye great men of letters, because I am unaware of your
talents . . . but because, unworthy as I am, I know that I
am born of the same genealogical root with them, though
it may be of the lowest stalks of the branches, and,
therefore, felt disposed to put in the hands of the reader
SAINT WILLI BALD.
something worthy of memory concerning such great and
venerable men ... of whom one was a prelate invested
with the highest prerogative of the priestly rank and
pastoral care, the renowned lover of the Cross, the great
Master Willibald. And the other, taking hold of the path
of solid virtue, making crooked things straight, smoothing
down and refining the erring, the rough, and the fierce ;
not treating with a mind lazily and tepidly wavering the
thickly-sown and shameless vices of the worldly and the
sinful, but with the happy audacity of rashness, duly
strengthened from on high by the zeal of wisdom, he
perseveringly and with constant labour did away with all
these evils. He it was who, counted as a prelate from his
sacerdotal rank and pastoral honour, was our Abbot, the
renowned lover of the cross, Wunebald.
All these things on the white surface of fields [of paper]
I have ploughed with my pen, and left furrowed tracks
written in black [ink], which are now offered to your loving
knowledge. Against all the censures of the envious God's
grace and yours [will be] the shield of our protection, and
yet we calmly commend them to your acceptance, so that
in all things we may joyfully praise our Lord, our De-
liverer, and the giver of all [good] gifts.
I. — Hoza it is proposed to zvrite the Life.
I proposed to commence the putting together of this
little work by making known the first beginning of the life
of that venerable high priest of God, Willibald, . . . and
then the middle stage of his youth, and the course of his
life unto old age, and even unto decay. . . .
II. — While an Infant he is attacked with a griivous
illness.
When he . , . had been nurtured from his cradle with
great affection, and had reached to the age of three years,
I — 2
THE HODCEPORICON OF
it came to pass . . . that a grievous bodily weakness^
attacked him, and his failing breath gave warning of the
end of his life being at hand. . . ,
III. — His Parents promise for their Child that he should
lead a Monastic Life.
. . . And when his parents, in great anxiety of mind,
were held in suspense as to the death of their son, they
made an offering of him before the great Cross of our
Lord and Saviour. For it is the custom of the Saxon
race that on many of the estates of nobles and of good
men they are wont to have, not a church, but the standard
of the holy Cross, dedicated to our Lord, and reverenced
with great honour, lifted up on high, so as to be convenient
for the frequency of daily prayer. They laid him there
before the Cross, and earnestly, and with all their might,
begged our Lord God, the Maker of all things, to console
them, and save their son's life. And then they promised
in their most fervent prayers to make a return to the Lord,
so that, if the health of that child were restored, they
would at once offer him to receive the tonsure, as the first
commencement of Holy Order, and would place him under
the yoke of the service of Christ under the discipline of
monastic life. . . . Immediately after they had vowed
their vows their words were fulfilled ; they commended
their son to the heavenly King as His soldier, and
speedily obtained from the Lord the effect of their
petitions, and the former health of the child was restored
to him.
IV. — On the Childhood of Willibald; he is taken to the
Monastery of Waldheim.
When that illustrious boy had arrived at his fifth year,
. . . his parents hastened to fulfil their promises ; and, as
SAINT WILLI BALD.
soon as possible, after consultation with their noble friends
and kinsfolk,^ they lost no time in preparing him for the
means of entering upon monastic life. They commended
him to a venerable and most trustworthy man, Theodred.
They begged him to conduct him with all care to the
monastery, and to make arrangements and dispose all
things prudently in his behalf. And when they took him
to the monastery which is called Waldheim,^ they offered
him to the Abbot Egwald. . . . The Abbot . . . laid the
case before his community. . . . The whole community all
gave their unanimous consent, accepted him, and associated
him at once with them in community life.
V. — He perseveres in Sacred Learning, and in the Life of a
Monk.
After this, that modest child, perfected and imbued with
the holy studies of the Scriptures, scanned with shrewd
application of mind the sacred pages of David's Psalms,
and other treasuries of the holy writers of the Divine Law,
. . . according to the words of the prophet, ' Out of the
mouth of babes and sucklings [God] is wont to perfect
His praise/ Hence, as the age of years and sagacity of
mind increased, ... he was wholly converted to the love
of God, and with long and daily meditation . . . day and
night he turned over in his mind how he should unite him-
self to the chaste family of those monks, or how he could
be a partaker of their joys by the discipline of community
life.
VI. — Pilgrimage comes into his mind.
And then ... he began to ponder upon how he could
carry out into effect this idea ; that he should strive to
' This family council is a confirmation of the princely rank of St.
Richard.
2 Waltham.
THE HODCEPORICON OF
despise and renounce all the perishing things of this
world, and forsake, not only the temporal riches of
earthly property, but also his country, his parents and
kindred, and attempt to seek another land by a pilgrim-
age, and to explore the unknown regions of foreign
places. . . .
VII. — His Father consents, and, together with his son Wune-
bald, enters into the design of going abroad.
Afterwards that youth . . . opened the secrets of his
heart to his father according to the flesh, and begged him,
with earnest prayers, to give his advice and consent to the
desire of his will, and he asked him not only to give him
permission to go — but also to go with him himself . . . And
he so allured him by the sweet promises of the oracles of
God to accompany his sons, arid to visit the renowned
threshold of Peter, prince of the Apostles. Now his father,
at first, when he asked him, declined the journey, excusing
himself on account of his wife, and the youth and frailty of
his growing children, and answered that it would be dis-
honourable and cruel to deprive them of his protection,
and leave them to strangers. Then that warlike soldier of
Christ, repeated his solemn exhortations, and the persis-
tence of his prayers ... so that at last, by the aid of
Almighty God, the will of the petitioner and exhorter pre-
vailed, and that father of his and his brother Wunebald
promised that they would start on the course he had
desired and exhorted them to run.
VI 1 1. — On Willibald s crossing over, his journey to Rome :
Hamel- Month, the Seine, Rouen, the Gorthonic Land,
Lucca, the Basilica of St. Peter.
After this, therefore . . , his father and unmarried
brother commenced their predestined and chosen journey.
SAINT WILLI BALD.
And at a suitable time in the summer they were ready
and prepared. Taking with them the means of livelihood,
with a band of friends accompanying them, they came to
the appointed place, which was known by the ancient
name of Hamel-Muth,i near to that port which is called
Hamwih. . . . And then, having crossed the sea . . .
they saw in safety the dry land. At once they gave
thanks and disembarked, and pitched their tents there
on the banks of the river which is named the Seine,^
near the city which is called Rouen,^ where was a market.
And after resting there some days, they began to pro-
ceed, and made their petitions in prayer at many shrines
of the saints that were conveniently situated for them.
And so by degrees going on from place to place, they
came over into the Gorthonic^ land. And going on, they
came to the city which is called Lucca.^ Hitherto, Willi-
bald and Wunebald had conducted their father with them
in their company on the journey. But [at Lucca] he was
all at once attacked with a sudden failure of bodily
strength, such that, after a short time, the day of his end
was at hand. And the disease increasing upon him, his
worn out and cold bodily limbs wasted away, and thus he
breathed out his life's last breath. Those two brothers,
his sons, then took the lifeless body of their father, and
with the affection of filial devotion, wrapped it in beautiful
clothes, and buried it at St. Frigidian, in the city of Lucca.
There rests their father's body.
' The Hamble falls into the Southampton water about six n.iles
below the present town.
2 Sigona.
3 Rotuin, apparently a contracted form of Rntovtagum.
4 Possibly Derionicuni, or the neighbourhood of Dertona. the chief
town in Liguria, and called Choituna in an ancient Life of Charle-
magne.
5 Liica,
THE HODCEPORICON OF
Without delay they went on steadily through the vast
lands of Italy, through the depths of the valleys, the steep
heights of the mountains, the level plains, and at the diffi-
cult passes of the Alps they climbed on foot and directed
their steps on high^ . . . and by the aid of a kind God,
and the support of the saints, with the whole body of their
fellow-countrymen, and the whole band of their comrades,
they all escaped the violence and cunning of armed men,^
and arrived at the illustrious and renowned threshold of
Peter, prince of the Apostles. There they besought his
protection, and rendered unbounded thanks to Almighty
God . . . that they had been counted worthy to approach
the famous Basilica of St. Peter.
IX. — Rome : they suffer from fever.
Then those two brothers, remaining there from the
Feast of St. Martin until another Paschal solemnity, . . .
passed a happy life of monastic discipline under the
government of the holy rule. But when the days began
to shorten, and the summer heat increased, they were
forthwith seized with great discomfort of body, which is
usually the forewarning of fever. . . . But God, in the
unwearied providence of His paternal love for His chil-
dren, condescended to consult for and help them, so that
one of the two had respite one week, and one the other,
and thus they were able to minister to each other. . . .
» This must refer to the journey before reaching Lucca.
2 In 721, the Saracen conquerors of Spain had been defeated by
Duke Eudes beneath the walls of Toulouse, Liutprand, King of the
Lombards, held armed possession of the greater part of Italy, while
the Exarchs of Ravenna represented the decrepitude and tyranny of
the Eastern empire, then under Leo the I saurian ; Gregory II. was
Pope.
SAINT WILLI BALD.
X. — TerracinUy Gaieta, Naples, Rhegiuniy Catana^ Mount
Etna, Syracuse.
Afterwards, that illustrious lover of the Cross of Christ
, . . sighed after a longer and more unknown pilgrimage
than that on which he now seemed to stand still. Then
that vigorous one, after taking counsel and obtaining per-
mission from his friends and countrymen, begged that they
would follow him with the aid of their supplications, so
that through all the course of the journey, by the protec-
tion of their prayers, he might be enabled to reach and
gaze upon the walls of the delightful and longed-for city
of Jerusalem.
When the Paschal solemnities of our Lord were over, the
active warrior arose with his two companions and began to
set out. And as they journeyed they came as far as the
city of Terracina^ in the east, and there remained two
days. And, going on from thence, they came to the city
of Gaieta, which stands on the sea-shore. There they went
at once on board ship, and crossed over to Naples, where,
leaving the ship in which they sailed, they stayed two weeks.
These cities belong to the Romans ; they are in the terri-
tory of Beneventum, but yet subject to the Romans. The
goodness of God is wont to act unceasingly, so that it
hastens to fulfil the longing desire of His servants; and
thus at once they found a ship from Egypt, and they went
on board of her, and sailed thence to the land of Calabria,
to a city called Regia.^ And after staying there two days,
they set sail, and came to the Island of Sicily — that is, to
the city of the Catanians — where rests the body of
St. Agatha the virgin. There is Mount Etna ; and when
it happens for any reason that that [volcanic] fire chooses
to pour itself out over the country, then the people of that
' Cant si us J Daterina * Reggio.
lo THE HODCEPORICON OF
city take the veil of St. Agatha in haste, and place it in
front of the fire, and it stops.i They were there three
weeks. And sailing thence they came to the city of Syra-
cuse in the same country.
XL — T/ie Adriatic Sea, Monembasia, Chios, Samos, Ephe-
sus, Phygala, Hierapolis, Patara, Miletus, Chelido7iiiLmy
Cyprus, Paphos, Constantia.
Sailing from Syracuse they crossed the Adriatic Sea,
and reached the city of Manafasia,^ in the land of Slavinia.^
They thence sailed to the Island of Choo,* leaving Corinth
on their left, and thence to the Island of Samos. From
hence they sailed to Asia to the city of Ephesus, about a
mile from the sea. From this city they went on foot to
the place where rest the Seven Sleepers.^ And then they
walked to [the shrine of] St. John the Evangeh'st, situated
in a beautiful spot, near Ephesus. Then they walked two
miles along the sea-coast to a large town which is called
Figila,^ and stayed there a day. And they begged some
bread, and went to a well there in the middle of the town,
and they sat on the edge of the well, and dipped their
' This is said in her Acts to have taken place first in A.D. 252, when
the Pagans took her veil, the year after her mart) rdom. See Acta SS.,
February 5. The Bollandists give numerous examples in the twelfth
and later centuries.
2 Monembasia, a small town near the south of the Morea, on the
site of the ancient Epidaurus Limera.
3 The Sclavonic Bulgarians were all-powerful at Constantinople,
where they had placed Leo III. on the imperial throne. It is not,
therefore, unnatural that the Morea should have been occupied by
them.
4 Chios.
5 See Bolland., Acta SS., July 27.
6 Phygala, called by Strabo ITvycXa, had a temple to Diana built by
Agamemnon ; Strabo, Geogr., lib. xiv. Pliny spells it Ph}gela, lib. v.
\ chap. 29.
SAINT WILLI BALD. ii
bread in the water, and so ate it. Going thence on foot
along by the sea, they came to the city of Strobolis^ on a
high mountain. And from thence they went to a place
called Patara,2 and there they remained until the dreadful
freezing cold of the winter had passed. After this they
again took ship, and arrived at the city which is called
Milite.^ That city was once on the point of perishing in
the water. There dwelt two monks on a ' stylite,' that is, a
place built up and strengthened by a thick wall of stones,
very high, so that the water cannot hurt them. From
thence they crossed over to the mountain of the Galliani.'*
That was all passed over ; and there they were so straitened
by the sharpness of severe hunger, that their inward parts
being torn with want of food, they began to be afraid that
the fatal day of death was at hand. But the Almighty
Pastor of His people deigned to provide food for His poor
servants.
Sailing thence they came to the Islr.nd of Cyprus, which
is situated between the Greeks and the Saracens, to the city
of Paphos, and there they remained the three weeks of
Easter after the turn of the year. Thence they went to
the city of Constantia,^ where St. Epiphanius rests, and
there they stayed until after the nativity of St. John the
Baptist.
^ Apparently Trogyllium ; but F. Meyrick identifies it with Hali-
carnas^Lis.
2 Now in ruins on the sand-covered estu?.ry of the Xanthus.
3 Can, Militena. If Miletus is meant, the pilgrims must have
landed here before reaching Patara. The only place on the map
between Patara and Chelidonia is a town, now a village, called Myra,
mentioned in Acts xxvii. 27, Gr. The Vulgate reads Lystra.
4 The promontory called Promonto7-iiim ^^^rrww, opposite to which
are the islands of Chelidonia. See Stiabo, loc. cit.
5 Costanza is near Famagosta, and was anciently called Salamis.
St. Epiphanius was Bishop of Salamis for thirty-six years, and died
in 403.
12 THE HODCEPORICON OF
f
XII. — Antarardus, Area, Emesa : Captivity.
Sailing from Cyprus, they came into the territory of the
Saracens to the city of Tharratac^ near the sea. And from
thence they went on foot about nine or twelve miles to the
village which is called Arche.^ Here there was a Bishop
of the Greek nation, and they had Litany according to
their own rite.'^ Going on from thence, they walked to a
-i city which is called Emesa,* twelve miles distance. There
is a large church, which St. Helena built in honour of
St. John the Baptist,^ and his head, which is now in Syria,
was there for a long time.
There were then with Willibald seven of his fellow-
' Called Antaradus by the Greeks, and Tortcsa in the middle ages,
under which name it is celebrated by Tasso. The ruins of its magni-
ficent Gothic cathedral are still to be seen. Its modern name is
Tartus.
2 Can.^ Arthas ; Mabtl., Argathae. The high road from Antaradus
to Emesa does not pass through any place called Area. Area Ca?sarea
is on the sea-coast, not far from Tripolis. A village now called 'Akkar,
on Jebel Akkar, which gives the name to the province, has a ruined
Saracenic castle, but it is quite off the road. Sir Richard Burton
gives a sketch of a fine castle of the crusaders' times, which may have
replaced a fortress of the Saracens. This is on the high road, about
fifteen miles from Antaradus, and it was called by the crusaders
Husn el-Akrad, or 'The Kurds' Castle.' The situation corresponds
with the Arche or Area visited by St. Willibald. See, for sketch,
Unexplored Syria, vol. i., p. 141.
3 The frequent repetition of the Kyrte eleison, which is said forty
times in the Greek Liturgy, would be likely to strike the English
pilgrim, and he would naturally call the whole function the Litany.
4 Now known by the name of Hums, a town of some 20,000 inhabi-
tants, with extensive ruins dating from the first century. It was
captured by the Saracens in 636.
5 This church is not mentioned by Eusebius among those built by
the Empress Helena ; but he says of Constantino that, at the same
time that the empress built the churches at Jerusalem and Bethlehem
* in all the other provinces he built new churches,' Vita Const.^
iii. 47.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 13
countrymen, and he made the eighth. All at once those
Saracens, hearing that strangers and unknown men had
arrived thither, took them and held them in captivity ; for
they knew not of what nation they were, but thought them
to be spies. And they led them as prisoners to a certain
wealthy old man that he might see and know whence they
were. And that old man questioned them as to whence
they came, and on what errand they were employed. Then
they replied, and related to him from the beginning the
v^hole motive of their journey. And that old man answered
and said : ' I have often seen men coming from those parts
of the earth, countrymen of these ; they have no evil designs,
but wish to fulfil their law.' Then they went from him,
and came to the palace in order to ask their way to pass
on to Jerusalem. But, when they arrived, that governor
said at once that they were spies, and commanded them to
be cast into prison until they could learn from the king how
their case stood — what he would have d^nc in their case.
While they were in prison they had immediate experience
of the wonderful dispensation of God Almighty, who kindly
deigns to protect His own everywhere, in the midst of
spears and instruments of war, among barbarians and
warriors, in prisons and bands of rebels, to shield them
and keep them safe. For a man was there, a merchant,
who wished to redeem thtm, and deliver them out of
prison by way of alms and for the redemption of his own
soul, so that they might go free according to their own
will. And when he could not effect this, he sent them
instead dinner and supper every day. iVnd on Wednesday
and Saturday he sent his own son to the prison, and he
conducted them to the bath, and brought them back again.
And on Sunday he took them to church through the
market, that they might see the things that were for sale ;
and, whatever they were pleased with, he then at his own
14 THE HODCEPORICON OF
expense purchased for them anything that they had a
mind to. The citizens of the neighbouring: towns, filled
with curiosity, used to come in crowds thither to gaze
upon them, for they were young and handsome, and well
equipped with goodly apparel.-^
After this, while they were still in prison, a man came
from Spain, and conversed with them in the prison, and
diligently inquired of them as to who they were, and
whence they came. And they told him everything about
their journey in order. This Spanish man had a brother
in the king's palace, who was the chamberlain of the king
of the Saracens. And when that governor who had put
them in prison came to the palace, the Spaniard who had
talked with them in prison, and the captain of the vessel
in whose ship they were when they came from Cyprus,
both together presented themselves before the king of the
Saracens, whose name was Mirmumni.^ When some
words had passed about their case, that Spanish man
informed his brother of all that they had told him in the
prison, and begged him to make it known to the king, and
plead their cause. And so, when all these three came
before the king, and relating everything in order, made
known to him their case, the king asked whence they
came. And they said : * From the western shores, where
the sun sets, the men have come, and we know not any
land beyond them, and there is nothing but water.' And
the king answered and said to them : ' Why should we
punish them ? They have committed no offence against
us. Give them liberty, and let them depart.' Other men
who were detained in prison had to pay a three months'
assessment, but this was remitted in their case. Those
I Juve7ies^ et dccorl^ et vestiiim or?tatu bene eraiit induti. They do
not seem to have travelled in the monastic habit.
« Emir al-IMumanim, Commander of the Faithful.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 15
Cyprians dwell between the Greeks and the Saracens, and
were disarmed, because a firm peace and agreement was >^
then existing between the Saracens and the Greeks. That
territory was large and broad, and the dioceses of twelve
bishops are there.
XIII. — Damascus, Ghana, Mount Tabor,
With this permission, they at once set out, and trav^cllcd
a hundred miles to Damascus, where St. Ananias rests.
It is in the land of Syria. They stayed there a week.
Two miles from thence there is a church, and at that place
Paul was first converted, and the Lord said to him, ' Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou Me V etc. And there they
prayed, and walked on to Galilee, to that place where
Gabriel first came to holy Mary and said, ' Hail, Mary !'
etc.i There is now a church, and that village in which the
church is is Nazareth. Christian men have often com-
bined to purchase back that church from the pagan '
Saracens when they wished to destroy it. There they
commended themselves to the Lord, and walked on from
thence, and came to the town of Ghana, where our Lord
changed the water into wine. There is a large church,
and in that church stands at the altar one of the six water-
pots which our Lord commanded to be filled with water,
and it was turned into wine, and they partook of that wine.
They were there one day, and, proceeding from thence,
they came to Mount Tabor, where our Lord was trans-
figured. There is now a monastery of monks, and a
church dedicated to our Lord and to Moses and Elias.
And the inhabitants there call the place 'Age mons.'-
There they prayed.
^ Can., * Hail, full of grace,' etc.
2 A curious mixture of Greek and Latin, "Ayiog-mons. Antoninus
savs there were three churches.
i6 THE HODCEPORICON OF
XIV. — Tiberias y Magdahim, Capharnaum, Bethsaida^
Chorozain.
From thence they went on to a city which is called
Tiberiadis. That city stands on the shore of the sea [of
Galilee], where our Lord walked [upon the waters] with
dry feet, and Peter walking on the wave to Him was
sinking. There are many churches, and a synagogue of
the Jews ; but yet our Lord is held in great honour.
They were there some days, and the Jordan there flows
through the midst of the sea. From thence they went
round the sea-coast, and came near to the village of Mag-
dalene. And they came to that village, Capharnaum,
where our Lord raised to life the ruler's daughter ; and
there is a house and a thick wall. And the men there
said that Zebedee, with his sons John and James, had been
lodged therein. And thence they proceeded to Bethsaida,
whence came Peter and Andrew. There is now a church
where their house was formerly. They stayed there one
night, and, in the morning, went on to Corozain,^ where
our Lord cured the demoniacs, and sent the devil into
the herd of swine. There was a church of the Chris-
tians.
XV. — Jor and Dan, the Jordan, the Pools of Merom^
Cesarea Philippi.
There they prayed, and then went on, and came to that
place where two fountains spring out of the earth — the Jor
and the Dan — and then, as they run down from the moun-
1 Magnus ho7ior domuiicus. dm., ' Mag7io honore dominica^ which
might mean ' The Church (icvpiaKt)) is very splendid,' or ' The Sunday
is observed with great honour.'
2 The Itinerary says kmc sanctorum aniore locorum, iiinere tortuoso,
etc., which accounts for the doubling back upon their route, unless we
adopt the hypothesis of another Bethsaida at the place called et-
Tabighah.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 17
tain above, they become mingled together and make the
Jordan.! There they remained a night between the two
springs, and the shepherds gave us^ sour milk to drink.
There are wonderful cattle, created with a long back and
short legs and great horns, and all of the same colour. In
summer the pools are deep there. ^ And when in summer-
time the great scorching of the sun from heaven begins to
burn up the earth, those cattle take themselves off, and go
to the pool, and sink down with their whole body except
only the head. Proceeding from thence, they went on
and came to Caesarea [Philippi], where is a church and a
multitude of Christians.
XVI. — Monastery and Church of St. John the Baptist by
the Jordan^ Baptism in this River, the Feast of the
Epiphany.
After resting there some time, they again pursued their
^ Such is the common mediaeval derivation. More ancient writers,
as SS. Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome, give the Hebrew derivation :
'Descensio eorum.' No river makes such a rapid descent as the
Jordan, of about 2,000 feet from its source to its influx into the Dead
Sea.
2 The amanuensis here seems giving the ipsissijna verba of the
pilgrim, as she introduces the personal pronoun ' us,' nobis.
3 The Latin is somewhat obscure : Ostree paliides sunt ibi prof wide.
Et qtiando estuali tempore magna soils caumatio de celo terrain urere
solet^ etc. Canisius proposes to read Estate for Ostree. If Ostree be
used for OstrincB^ the passage would run, 'The purple pools there are
deep.' This is true of the pools at Tell el-Kady. It is interesting to
compare this description with that of Lieut. Anderson in 1866 : ' The
people farm on a small scale, and possess herds of black buffalo
cattle. These animals, with their large backward-turned horns
and very short hair, are usually seen contentedly standing in the
swamps of the Huleh, with their heads only out of the water, to
escape the torments of the flies and mosquitoes. . . . Half an hour's
journey down the valley brings us to the junction of the Banias and
Tell el-Kady streams' {Recovery of Jerusalem., p. 445). The water
in summer is plentiful and cool on account of the melting of the snow
on Mount Hermon.
2
i8 THE HODCEPORICON OF
journey to the Monastery of St. John the Baptist, where
there are about twenty monks. One night they remained
there, and then went on above a mile to the Jordan, where
our Lord was baptized.^ A church stands there now,
raised up high on stone cokimns, and underneath the
church is now dry ground, where our Lord was baptized
in this very spot. And where they now baptize there stands
a cross of wood in the middle, and there is a little channel
of water there, and a rope extending over the Jordan,
and secured on either side. Then, on the Feast of the
Epiphany, the sick and infirm come and hold on by the
rope, and so are dipped in the water. Moreover, women
who are barren come there, and, according to their deserts,
receive the grace of the Lord. Our Bishop Willibald
bathed there in the Jordan. They were there one day.
XVII. — Ga/ga/a, Jeric/io, Monastery of St. Euthymius.
They proceeded from thence, and came to Galgala. The
two places are about five miles apart, and there are twelve
stones there in the church, which is of wood, and not large.
These are the twelve stones, which the children of Israel
took out of the Jordan, and carried to Galgala, over five
"^ The monastery is described by Antoninus, chap. xii. It is
evidently Kusr el-Yehud. The difficulty is to account for St. Willibald
having passed at once from Banias to this place, sixty miles south, with
no mention of places on the way. Perhaps a probable explanation
may be hazarded, thus : At the end of chap. xv. the narrative was
interrupted by the bell for vespers, or dinner. The next time that the
bishop met the nuns, he would ask 'Where did we leave oft?' They
would reply, ' We had got to the Jordan.' Willibald would say,
' There it was that our Lord was baptized,' and proceed with a
description of the place where all are agreed that it must have been.
Canisius says that the words 'There is now a church . . . where our
Lord was baptized' were in the margin of the MS., added by another
hand.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 19
miles, and set up for a testimony of their crossing over.^
There then they prayed, and went on over seven miles
from the Jordan. There spouted out a spring at the foot
of the mountain. This spring was unprofitable and useless
for men, until Heliseus the prophet came and blessed it.
Afterwards it flowed forth, and all [the people of] that city
divided its waters through their fields, their gardens, and
everywhere where it was wanted ; and all that that water
irrigates increases and prospers to salvation, by reason of
the blessing of the prophet Heliseus.^ From thence they
went on to the Monastery of St. Eustochius, which stands
in the midst of a plain between Jericho and Jerusalem.^
XVIII. — Jerusalem, the Church and Crosses in the Place of
Calvary, the Garden with the Sepulchre of our Saviour^
and the Wonderfiil House.
From thence they came to Jerusalem, to that place
where the holy cross of our Lord was found. There is
now a church in that spot which was called the place of
Calvary. And this was formerly outside Jerusalem ; but
Helena, when she found the cross, arranged that place so
as to be within the city Jerusalem. And there now stand
three crosses of wood outside on the eastern wing of the
church, by the wall, in memory of the holy cross of our
Lord, and of the others who were crucified with Him.
These are not now inside the church, but stand without,
outside the church under [the eaves of] the roof. And
along there is that garden, in which was the sepulchre of
' Josue iv. 2-9, 20, 21. Galgala has been identified by HerrZschokke
with a ruin still bearing the name oi JUjiilieh, ot which a sketch is
given in Twenty one Years' Work, p. 107.
2 4 Kings ii. 19-22.
3 This monastery is called in the title St. Euthymius ; in the
Itinerary 0/ St. Wiltibald ii is called St. Eustace.
2 — 2
20 THE HODCEPORICON OF
our Saviour. That sepulchre was cut out in the rock, and
that rock stands above ground, and is square at the bottom
and tapers up towards the top. And there stands now on
the summit of that sepulchre a cross, and there has now
been constructed over it a wonderful house, and on the
eastern side of that rock of the sepulchre a door has been
made, through which men enter into the sepulchre to pray.
And there is a bed (lectus) inside, on which the body of
our Lord was laid. And there stand in the bed fifteen
golden bowls, with oil burning day and night. That bed
in which the body of our Lord was laid is situated on the
north side within the rock of the sepulchre, and is on the
right side to a man when he goes into the sepulchre to
pray. And there in front of the door of the sepulchre lies
that great stone, squared after the likeness of the former
stone which the angel rolled back from the door of the
sepulchre.
XIX. — Willibald sick, the Church of Holy Sion, Solomon's
Porch, the Pool of Probatica.
And our Bishop arrived there on the festival of St.
Martin.i And as soon as he got there he began to sicken,
and lay ill until a week before the Nativity of our Lord.
And then, when he was somewhat recovered, and had got
the better of his illness, he got up and went to that church
which is called Holy Sion. It stands in the middle of
Jerusalem. There he prayed, and from thence went into
Solomon's Porch. There is the piscina, and there lay the
infirm people, waiting for the moving of the water, when
the angel came, and then he who first went down into it
was healed ; and there our Lord said to the paralytic,
'Arise, take up thy bed and walk' (Mark ix. ii).2
» November I J. , ' ^ Really, John v. ij.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 2i
XX. — TAe Column in Memory of the Place where the Jews
wished to carry off the Body of Holy Mary ; her Transla-
tion in Holy Sion.
Likewise, he also said, that before the gate of the city
there stood a high column, and on the top of the column
stands a cross, for a sign and a memorial of the place where
the Jews wished to carry away the body of holy Mary.
When the eleven Apostles took up the body of holy Mary,
they carried it from Jerusalem, and soon as they came to
the gate of the city the Jews wished to seize it. Imme-
diately those men put forth their arms towards the bier
and tried to take it, their arms were held, and they stuck
to the bier, and were unable to move, until by the grace of
God and the prayers of the Apostles they were loosed
again, and then they left them. Holy Mary departed out
of the world in that place in the midst of Jerusalem, which
is called holy Sion. And now the eleven Apostles carried
her, as I said before, and then angels came and took her
from the hands of the Apostles, and carried her into
Paradise.^
XXI. — The Valley of Josaphat, the Church and Tomb of
Holy Mary, the Church where our Lord prayed, the
Church of the Ascension on Mount Olivet.
And going down from thence. Bishop Willibald came to
the valley of Josaphat. It is situated near the city of
Jerusalem, on the eastern side. And in that valley is the
church of holy Mary, and in the church is her sepulchre —
not that her body rests there, but for a memorial of her.
^ Most of the accounts of the Assumption state that the body of
the Blessed Virgin was buried in the tomb mentioned in the next
chapter ; and that, when that tomb was opened some days afterwards,
it was found empty.
22 THE HODCEPORICON OF
There he prayed, and went up to Mount Olivet, which is
near the valley on the eastern side. That valley is between
Jerusalem and the Mount Olivet. And on Mount Olivet
there is now a church, where our Lord prayed before His
Passion, and said to His disciples, 'Watch and pray, that
you enter not into temptation ' (Matt. xxvi. 41). From
thence he came to the church on the mount itself, where
our Lord ascended into heaven. And in the middle of the
church there stands [a candelabrum'\ made of brass, sculp-
tured and beautiful, and it is square. It stands in the
middle of the church, where our Lord ascended into
heaven. And in the centre of the brass-work has been
made a quadrangular vessel of glass, and there in the
middle of the glass is a small glow-worm [of a lamp],^ and
round the lamp the glass is shut in on all sides. And it is
so shut in that it may be always burning both in rain and
sunshine. That church is open at the top, and has no roof,
and there stand two columns within the church over against
the northern and the southern wall. These are for a
memorial and a sign of the two men who said, ' Ye men of
Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven ?' (Acts i. 1 1).
And the man who can creep between the wall and the
columns is free from his sins.^
XX n. — The Place of the Shepherds, Bethlehem^ the Cave
and CUiirch of the Nativity of our Lord.
From Jerusalem they went to the place where the angel
appeared to the shepherds, saying, * I announce to you
great joy,' etc. (Mark ii. lo).^ And thence they came to
Bethlehem, where our Lord was born, seven miles from
Jerusalem. The place where Christ was born was once a
^ Cicindtdum.
2 /^^^ can gain a plenary indulgence.
3 Luke ii. to.
SAINT WILLI BALD 23
cave underground, and now is a square chamber cut out in
the rock, and the surrounding earth has been dug out and
thrown away. And there above it a church has now been
erected. And where our Lord was born, over that now
stands the altar ; and another smaller altar has been made,
so that when they wish to celebrate Mass inside the
cave, they take that smaller altar, and carry it inside during
the time that Mass is being celebrated, and then carry
it out again. That church where our Lord was born is a
glorious house, built in the form of a cross.^
XXIIL— T/iecua, the Laura and Monastery of St. Saba,
Having prayed there, they went on, and came to a large
town, which is called Thecua, to the place where the infants
were once slain by Herod. There is now a church, and
there rests one of the prophets.^ And then they came into
the Laura Valley. There is a large monastery, and there
resides the abbot at the monastery, and that doorkeeper of
the church and the other numerous monks, who are there
in the same monastery, dwell around the valley, in the
recesses of the mountain rock. And they have there little
cells cut out in the stony rock of the mountain here and
there. The same mountain circles round the valley, and
there rests St. Saba.^
XXIV. — The little Church where Philip baptized the Eunuch ^
Gaza, St. Matthias, St. ZachariaSy Hebron.
Then they went to the place where Philip baptized the
Eunuch.* And there is a little church in a wide valley
' See Churches of Consiantine, pp. 11, 12.
2 Amos i. I, vii. 14, 15. It is still called Tekua, but has scarcely any
inhabitants since its destruction by the Turks in 11 38.
3 St. Saba founded this monastery in 483, and was made by the
patriarch of Jerusalem archimandrite over all the monks of Palestine.
4 The Bordeaux Pilgrim (p. 27) calls the place Bethasora, Beit
>('
24 THE HODCBPORICON OF
between Bethlehem and Gaza.^ Thence they went to
Gaza, where is a holy place ; and they prayed there, and
went on to St. Matthias. There is great glory of the Lord.^
But while the sacred solemnities of Masses were celebrated
there, our Bishop Willibald, standing there at Mass, lost
the sight of his eyes, and was blind for two months. And
from thence they went to St. Zacharias the prophet, not the
father of John [the Baptist], but another prophet. Then
they went to the village Aframia.^ There rest the three
patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with their wives.
XXN .—Jerusalem, Diospolis {at St. George), Church of St.
Peter in Joppe, the Great Sea, Tyre, Sidon^ Tripoli,
Moimt Lib anus, Damascus, CcBsarca Philippi,
And then they came again into Jerusalem, and entering
into the church, where the holy Cross of our Lord was
found, Willibald's eyes were opened, and he received his
sight. And after remaining there some time, he journeyed
Sur, on the road from Bethlehem to Hebron. It is called in the
Itinerary of St. Willibald, Bethsurus.
^ It is difficult to understand why the pilgrims should have gone to
Gaza and then returned to Hebron. The ruins of the church built by
Constantine at Gaza are still to be seen. The Bordeaux Pilgrim
mentions a basilica of wondrous beauty built by command of Con-
stantine ^at Terebinthus,' probably Ramet el-KhuHl, where are
extensive ruins. Eusebius {Vita Const., cc. li.-liii.) gives an account
of tliis basilica at Mamre.
2 Ibi est magna gloria do7ni7iica. Perhaps we ought to supply
domtis, and read ' There is a church adorned with great glory.' The
body of St. Matthias is said to have been translated by St. Helena from
Judsea to Treves, where it is still honoured. See Bolland., Acta SS.^
February 24. Canisius reads in domijiica, which would mean ' on
Sunday.'
3 Castellum Aframia. It is difficult to account for this name. Can
it be that it is a mistake for Castellum Abrahcz or Abrami ? Porter
says : ' This structure was long known as the " Castle of Abraham," a
name also applied in the time of the crusades to the whole city '
{Handbook, p. 68).
SAINT WILLIBALD. 2S
from thence, and came into the place Diospolis to St.
George.^ That is ten miles from Jerusalem. And from
thence he came to another town. There is the church of
St. Peter the Apostle, and there St. Peter raised to life the
widow, who was named Dorcas. Having prayed there, he
went on and came to the Adriatic (sic) Sea, a long way
from Jerusalem, to the cities of Tyre and Sidon. These two
cities are six miles apart, and they stand on the sea-shore.
From thence he came to Tripoli on the sea-shore. And
then he passed over Mount Libanus, and came to Damascus,
and thence came [back] to Csesarea.
XXVI. — Jerusalem, EmesUy Salamais {where he was sick a
long time)y again Emesa, Damascus.
From Caesarea he came a third time to Jerusalem, and
was there the whole winter. And he journeyed from thence
above three hundred miles to the city of Emesa in Syria,
and thence came to the city of Salamaitha.^ This is at the
extreme border of Syria, and he was there for the whole
time of Lent, because he fell sick and could not travel.
His companions, who were with him in attendance, went to
the King of the Saracens, named Murmumni, and wished
to ask of him a letter to permit them to travel ; but they
could not find the King, for he had fled away from that
country to avoid the sickness and plague which scourged
that region. And when they did not find the King they
came back again ; and there they all remained together in
Salamaitha until it was one week before Easter.
Then they came again to Emesa, and begged the
^ Lydda (Acts ix. 32-39), now called Ludd. The remains of the
Church of St. George, who is said to have been born here, are still
to be seen, restored as a Greek Church.
2 Now ' Saldmeyeh, mentioned in the Antonine Tables as Salamias,
and placed at a distance of eighteen Roman miles from Hemisa.'
— Unexplored Syria^ vol. ii., p. 166. Canisius reads Plolomais,
26 THE HODCEPORICON OF
governor there to give them a letter. And he gave them
a letter for two at a time, because they could not travel
all together, but only two by two, for in this way it would
be more easy for them to obtain food there. And then
they came to Damascus.
XXVII. — Jeriisalan, Sebastia, Church over the Well where
our Lord asked Water from the Woman of Samaria^
Mount Garizim, a large Town.
From Damascus they came a fourth time to Jerusalem.
And there they remained some days, and came to the city
of Sebastia, which was formerly called Samaria. But after
it had been destroyed they built again a fortress where
Samaria had formerly been, and called that fortress
Sebastia.^ There rest now St. John the Baptist, and
Abdias, and Heliseus the prophet. And there is that well
near the fortress,^ where our Lord asked the woman of
Samaria water to drink. And over that well is now a
church, and that mountain is there on which the Samaritans
used to adore. And that woman said to our Lord, ' Our
fathers adored upon this mountain, and Thou sayest that in
Jerusalem is the place where men must adore' (John iv. 20).
Then they prayed there, and travelled over the region of
the Samaritans, to their extreme borders, to a large town.
There they were one night.
XXVIII. — The Plain of Esdraelon, Ptolemazs, the White
Promontory with the Tozver of Libanus, Tyre^ deception
with Petroleum,
From thence they travelled on across a wide plain full
of olive-trees, and there went with them an Ethiopian with
two camels and a mule, who conducted a woman through
I Sebastia was built by Herod the Great and called after Augustus.
8 It is two hours and a half journey from Sebustieh to Jacob's Well.
SAINT WILLIBALD. 27
the wood. And as they journeyed there met them a lion,
which, with open mouth, roaring and growling, sought to
seize and devour them, and terrified them greatly. Then
that Ethiopian said to them, * Fear you not, but go on.'
They went on immediately, and drew near to it. But the
lion, by the disposition of the Almighty God enthroned on
high, quickly turned another way, and left the path clear
for them to pass. And so they said that as soon as they
had proceeded thence, after a little while they heard that
lion give a great roar, as though he were devouring many
of the men who went to gather the fruit of the olives.
Going on from thence they came to the city which is called
Talamais, on the sea-shore.^ Walking on from thence they
came to the head of Libanus, where that mountain goes
down into the sea, and is a promontory. There is the
tower of Libanus.2 And he who comes thither without a
passport cannot pass the place, because that place is in the
hands of a guard, and there is an enclosure ; and if anyone
comes without a passport, the citizens take him and send
him back to the city of Tyre. That mountain is between
Tyre and Talamais, And then the Bishop came again to
Tyre.
Before this, Bishop Willibald, when he was in Jerusalem,
bought himself some balsam, and filled a calabash (nm/ier-
dam^) with it. He took a cane, which was hollow, and had
a bottom. He filled that with petroleum {petrce oleo), and
put it inside the calabash, and cut that cane even with the
calabash so that the edges of both seemed alike even, and
thus he closed the mouth of the calabash. And when they
came to the city of Tyre, those inhabitants of the city took
them, bound them, and examined all their baggage, in order
' Ptolemais, now Acre.
2 Ras el-Abyad. The tower is now in ruins.
3 So Mabillon translates it
THE HODCEPORICON OF
to find out if they had anything contraband hidden, and if
they had found anything they would at once have punished
and made martyrs of them.^ But when they examined
everything they found nothing except a calabash which
Willibald had, and they opened and smelled what was
inside. And when they smelled the petroleum, because it
was in the cane above, the balsam, which was inside the
calabash under the petroleum, they found not, and so they
let them go.
XXIX. — Const a ntmopie, Niccea.
They were for many days waiting for a ship while it was
being made ready. Afterwards they were sailing the whole
winter, from the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle until one
week before Easter. Then they arrived at the city of
Constantinople, where rest three saints (Andrew, and
Timothy, and Luke the Evangelist) at one altar. And
John, he of the Golden Mouth, rests there before the altar,
where he stood as a priest and offered Mass ; there is his
tomb.2 Our Bishop was there two years, and had a cell
inside the church, so that every day he could gaze upon
the place where the saints rested. From thence he went
to the city of Nicaea, where formerly the Emperor Con-
stahtine held the Council ; and there were there at the
Council three hundred and eighteen bishops ; all these held
the Synod. The church there is similar to that church on
Mount Olivet, where our Lord ascended into heaven. And
in that church are the pictures of the bishops who were at
the Council. And Willibald went thither from Constanti-
1 Punientes martyrizarent. Smuggling would hardly have procured
Willibald the honours of martyrdom, unless he had been offered his
life on condition of his renouncing Christ.
2 The relics of these saints seem to have been translated to Rome
during the Latin occupation of Constantinople. See Bolland., Acta
SS., Sejftemi^r, tom. iv., p. 694.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 29
nople, that he might see how that church had been con-
structed, and he returned by water to Constantinople.
XXX. — Syracuse^ Caiana, Rhegiiim, Infernus Theoderici in
Insula Vulcani.
And after two years they sailed from Constantinople
with the Nuncios of the Pope^ and the Emperor to the
island of Sicily, to the city of Syracuse. Thence they
came to Catana, and from that place to Regia, a city in
Calabria. From thence they sailed to the island of Vul-
cano. There is the Hell of Theoderic. When they came
thither, they went up out of the ship to see what sort of
hell it was.2 Willibald, in his curiosity, at once wished to
^ Leo, the Isaurian, threatened Pope Gregory II., and was excom-
municated in 728, and this occasioned the return of the legates to
Rome.
2 St. Gregory the Great tells us that, when he was still a monk, he
was often visited by a cleric named Julian. ' This man told me,' he
says, * this story : In the time of King Theoderic (quoth he) my wife's
father being in Sicily, was to return into Italy. The ship in which he
came arrived at the island of Lipari, where he understood that there
dwelt a certain solitary man of great virtue, and while the mariners
were occupied about mending of their ship and tackling, he thought
good to visit and talk with him, and to commend himself to his
prayers ; and so he did in the company of others. When they
were come to the man of God, amongst other talk which they had,
he asked them this question : Do you (quoth he) hear that King
Theoderic [II.] is dead ? to whom they quickly answered : "• God forbid !
we left him aUve at our departure from Rome ; and before this present
we never heard of any such thing." Then the servant of God told
them that certainly he was dead : " For yesterday (quoth he) at nine
o'clock, he was without shoes and girdle, and his hands fast bound,
brought betwixt John the Pope and Symmachus the senator, and
thrown into Vulcan's gulf, which is not far from this place." When
they heard this news, carefully they wrote down the time ; and at their
return into Italy, they understood that King Theoderic died upon that
very day, in which his unhappy passage out of this world, and punish-
ment, was revealed to the servant of God. And forasmuch as he had,
by miserable imprisonment, been the death of Pope John [V-], and
30 THE HODCEPORICON OF
see what sort of place that hell was inside, and he wanted
to go up to the top of the mountain, under which the hell
is, but he could not, because the ashes from the foul
Tartarus lie there in heaps reaching up to the very edge [of
the crater] ; and, like snow, when it snows from heaven, and
is wont to heap up the falling masses of flakes which fall
from the airy heights of the sky, so the ashes lay heaped
up at the top of the mountain and prevented Willibald's
going up. But yet they saw the foul and terrible and
horrible flame break forth and belching out from the pit
with a roll like thunder. Thus they gazed in awe at the
great flame and vapour of smoke ascending up to a very
great height. That pumice-stone of which writers speak
he saw it going up out of the hell, and with the fire thrown
out and swallowed up in the sea, and then again thrown up
by the sea upon the shore, where men take it up and carry
it away.
XXXI. — The Island of Lipara with the Church of St. Bar-
tholomezv the Apostle ; then the Mountains of Didymus,
Naples^ Capua, Teano^ Cassino.
As soon as they had examined with the sight of their
eyes these horrible and terrible fires and their marvellous
blazing, with flame-vomiting vapours and foetid smoke,
they weighed anchor, and sailed to the church of St. Bar-
tholomew the Apostle [at Lipari], which stands on the
sea-shore, and they came to those mountains which are
called DidymS. There they prayed, and remained one night.
And sailing thence they came to the city which is called
Naples. They were there several days. There is the
also killed Sj'mmachus, justly did he appear to be thrown of them into
fire, whom before in this life he had unjustly condemned.' — Dialogues^
Bk. IV., chap, xxx., E. Tr. by P. W., 1608.
SAINT WILLIBALD. 31
throne of the archbishop, and his dignity there is great.
And there is a town near,^ where rests St. Severinus.
From thence they came to Capua. The archbishop sent
him to another city to a bishop there, and this bishop sent
him to the city Tiana^ to the bishop there, and that bishop
sent him to St. Benedict [at Monte Cassino] . It was then
autumn when he arrived at St. Benedict's.
XXXII. — Monastery of St. Benedict, the River Rapidus,
Community Life.
It was then seven years since Willibald began to travel
from Rome, and it was ten years in all since he came over
from his own country. And when the venerable man
Willibald and Tidbert,^ who had travelled with him
through all these places, came to St. Benedict, they found
there only a few monks, and an abbot named Petronax.
At once, with great self-control and natural aptitude for
rules, [he joined] the happy community of the brethren ;
and, admonished by their diligent instructions, he taught
them [in turn] by his intercourse, not only by words, but
by the beauty of his behaviour, and set before them rightly
the spirit of their institute, by exhibiting in himself the
pattern of monastic life, in such a manner as to call out
and draw to himself the love and respect of all.
In the first year that he came there he was sacristan
{cubiadarius) of the church ; the next year he was dean in
the monastery, and then for eight years he was porter in
two monasteries — four years in that monastery which stands
on the top of a high mountain, and the other four years in
the other monastery, which stands below by the river
Rapido.
Thus passed an interval of ten years, and that venerable
* Lucullano, Mabil. « Teano,
3 Can.^ Diapertus
32 THE HODCEPORICON OF
man Willibald endeavoured in every particular that he
could to observe St. Benedict's sacred rule of regular life.
And not only himself, but others he led with him by going
before them in the venerated paths of religious life.
XXXIII. — Rome : the Pilgrimage is briefly narrated
before the Pope.
After these events a priest came from Spain to St. Bene-
dict's, who stayed there, and then asked permission of the
Abbot Petronax to go on to Rome. And as soon as he
had obtained leave, he begged Willibald to go with him
and conduct him to St. Peter's. . . . And when they came
to Rome, they entered into the basilica of St. Peter, and
craved the patronage of the heavenly keeper of the keys,
and commended themselves to the pious protection of his
prayers. When that holy pontiff of the Apostolic See,
Gregory III., learned that the venerable man Willibald
was there, he commanded him to come to him. And
when he came ... he at once prostrated himself with his
face to the earth and saluted him. And forthwith that
kind overseer of the people began to inquire into the order
of his journey. ... At once the active servant of Christ
made known to the glorious ruler of the nations the course
of his journey in order.
XXXIV. — The Pope exhorts him to set out to [join]
St. Boniface.
After he and the Pope had turned all these subjects
over in pleasant and familiar conversation, that holy and
supreme Apostolic pontiff testified in serious and distinct
words that St. Boniface had asked him to have Willibald
sent for and brought to him, and so to be next to himself
in instructing the nation of the Franks. Then Willibald
promised obedience ... if he got leave from his abbot.
SAINT WILLIBALD. 33
The supreme pontiff at once said ... * That if I were
pleased to send the Abbot Petronax himself anywhere,
he would certainly have no liberty or power to object.'
Then Willibald readily answered . . . that he was ready
and willing to go not only there, but whithersoever else in
the whole world ... he might deign to send him.
XXXV. — Journey to Lucca, Ticino, Brescia^ Carta ; to Odilo,
to Suitgar, to Linthard, to St. Boniface, Eihstadty where
is St. Mary's Church.
After this Willibald set out thence at Easter, having
come to Rome on the Feast of St. Andrew, and Tidbert
remained there at St. Benedict's. Willibald went to Lucca,
where his father rested. And thence he came to Ticino,
and then to Brescia. And thence to a place which is
called Carta.i He then came to the Duke Odilo, and
was with him a week. Thence he went to Suitgar, and
was there with him a week. And then Willibald and
Suitgar travelled to Linthard to St. Boniface. St. Boni-
face sent them to Eihstadt, that he might see how it
pleased him. Suitgar handed over that territory to
St. Boniface, and St. Boniface entrusted to our Bishop
Willibald that region, which was then all waste, insomuch
that there was no house there, except that church of
St. Mary, which still stands, smaller than that other
church which Willibald afterwards erected there.
XXXVI. — Frisinga, Eihstadt, Willibald made Priest.
When Willibald and Suitgar had both remained together
at Eihstadt for some space of time, and, after exploring,
had selected there a place suitable for a dwelling, they
then went again to St. Boniface to Frisinga, and were
* Probably Garda, on the Lago di Garda.
34 THE HODCEPORICON OF
there with him until they all went together back to
Eihstadt. And there St. Boniface consecrated Willibald
to the rank of the priestly dignity ... on the eleventh
day before the Kalends of August [July 22nd], the Feast
of St. Apollinaris^ and of St. Mary Magdalene.
XXXVII. — TImringia. At Salzburg he is endued with
the fulness of the Priestly Dignity. Some Matters
belonging to the Prologue are inserted.
And after the circle of a year had passed, St, Boniface
ordered him to repair to him in Thuringia, . . . and he
had his dwelling as a guest in the house of his brother
St. Wunebald ; for he had not seen him before during the
past eight years, nor even for the nine and a half years
since he started from Rome. And now they were rejoiced
to see each other, and congratulated one another on the
meeting. It was then the autumnal season of the year,
and . . . soon after he came, St. Boniface, the Archbishop,
and Burchard and Wizo, consecrated him in due form to
the sacred authority of the episcopate. He was there one
week . . . and then returned to his appointed place.
Willibald was forty-one years old when he was conse-
crated Bishop . . . the time was three weeks before the
Feast of St. Martin, and the place is called Salzburg.
The long course of the travels of Willibald was now
past and ended which that wise man had spent seven years
in traversing. Those events, now being ascertained and
strictly investigated, we have endeavoured to set forth and
make known. And they were ascertained, not from any-
one else, but heard froin himself, and dictated from his own
mouth, and we wrote them out in the monastery of Heiden-
heim, his deacons and some other younger [clerics] of his
^ St. Apollinaris, Bishop of Ravenna, is honoured on July 23. The
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene is on the 22nd.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 35
being witnesses for me. And I say this, that no one may
hereafter say that it is an idle tale.^
XXXVIII. — A Monnsteiy is built at Eihstadt : Community
Life after the Rule of St. Benedict is established.
After he came from Rome with three fellow-countrymen
. . . and in the place which is called Eihstadt he began
to build a monastery, and soon began to practise the
discipline of monastic life . . . and with a few fellow-
workmen he cultivated a wide and spacious field of the
Divine crop ; sowing the sacred seed of the heavenly word
he brought it on even to the harvest, . . .
XXXIX. — Crowds flow from all sides to the Apostle of the
Bavarians.
Soon after that strenuous athlete of our good God began
to inhabit the monastic place of his dwelling, immediately
they commenced to flock together from all sides from those
provinces, and even from other far-off regions to the saving
doctrine of his wisdom, and he brought them to our Lord
as his adopted sons . . . and as a hen is wont to cherish
her offspring, hiding them under her wings, so that Father
Willibald and Mother Church, protecting many continually
with the shield of his own affection, brought them up as
adopted children for our Lord. . . .
XL. — A zvhole People ivith CJdef tains ivithout number are
gained ; praise to God and to Willibald.
And that Willibald, who at first began the exercises of
a holy life with but a few followers to help him, at last
carried on the warfare with an innumerable band of chief-
tains and courtiers, and gained possession of a people
^ Frivoiiim. The mixture of the singular and plural is very fre-
quent in this woik.
3—2
36 THE HODCEPORICON OF SAINT WILLIDALD.
worthy of our Lord. Far and wide through the province
of the Bavarians he drove his plough, he sowed his seed, he
reaped his harvest with many labourers of the harvest ; and
all through the fields of Bavaria, shining with churches,
presbyteries, and relics of the saints, he gathered offerings
worthy of our Lord. From these [once wild forests]
now the antiphons sound, sacred lections are heard, a
noble crowd of believers shout aloud the holy miracles of
Christ, and with grateful hearts prattle of the glories of
their Creator.
What shall I now say of Willibald, my master and your
foster-father ?^ Who was ever more advanced in piety,
who more perfect in humility, who more pure in patience,
more strict in continence, more great in meekness ? When
was he ever backward in consoling the sad ? When ever
wanting in assisting the poor or in clothing the naked ?
These things are said, not for glorification, but, as I have
seen and heard them done, by the grace of God not by
man's works, in order that, according to the Apostle, * he
that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord' (i Cor. i. 31).
' Altimnus.
THE ITINERARY OF ST. WILLIBALD.
BY AN ANONYMOUS WRITER OF THE
EIGHTH CENTURY.
Although superior in style, the Itinerarium S. Willibaldi
is far inferior in value to the Hodceporicon. The Heiden-
heim nun is very anxious to relate exactly what she heard
from Willibald's own lips, whereas the anonymous writer
mixes up with the narrative many things which he has
collected by his own reading from ecclesiastical history.
Nevertheless, it has been thought worth while to give a
translation of it, since it adds some particulars not men-
tioned in the Hodceporicon, but which were probably dropped
in conversation by St. Willibald ; and even where it adds
nothing it confirms the accuracy of that narrative, since it
is obviously the testimony of an independent witness.
Only one MS. of this work has come to light as yet,
viz., that edited byCanisius from the Monastery of Ochsen-
hausen. This was a very ancient Benedictine abbey in
Oberschwaben, a province of Wurtemberg, which was
destroyed by the Huns in 955, and rebuilt by Count
Hatto, when it received its name from the treasure
secreted by its former inmates being brought to light
through a plough drawn by oxen. It was suppressed in
the last century.
ITINERARY OF ST. WILLIBALD.
ANONYMOUS.
I. The prelate Willibald, sprung from the nation of the
English, shone conspicuous as an image of angelic chastity.
When the child of excellent disposition had completed his
third year with the brightest hopes of his parents, he sud-
denly began to pine away with a complication of diseases,
and the fair beauty of his face lost its bloom [and became]
frightfully emaciated. Pierced with sorrow, his parents,
whose only child he then was, carried him, scarce able to
draw his breath, to the church, laid him before the holy
cross, which stood there for adoration, and vowed that if
he should be restored to health he should be set apart to
the service of God. At once their vows obtained their
effect, and the child came back to health and to his former
beauty. And after that he was fully restored to strength,
he began even before his tmie to be great in virtues.
II. By this sign his parents perceived that God was
about to work something great in a child of so remarkable
a disposition, and they were not wanting on their part, but
dedicated their child, when scarcely five years old, to the
Waitham. monastic rule at a monastery called Waltheim, under the
venerable abbot, Egilward. He then applied himself to
learning, and did not allow himself a moment's idleness, but
in a short time the most industrious [future] prelate made
his breast an armoury of sacred literature ; and that he
THE ITINERARY OF SAINT WILLIBALD. 39
might manifest Christ in all things, whatever he learned of
the law of God or of the Church in his reading, that he
faithfully fulfilled by following it in his manners and habit
of life. And thus, ajready eminent by his virtues in a most
remarkable degree, he so strove to become perfect in Christ
that he thought of nothing else but to be with Christ.
III. Hence, having already denied himself and trampled
the world under foot both in mind and in [outward] habit,
yet he began to fear that he was wanting in perfection,
because on his native soil his father's dignity reflected,
however against his will, somewhat of fame and honour
upon himself. He, therefore, resolved to go forth from his
native country, and, unknown and in poverty, to be a
pilgrim for Christ. And that he might not be the only
one of his relations to enlist in Christ*s army, he approached
his father Richard, illustrious for his birth and property,
and began to persuade him to despise the world and go on
pilgrimage. And he objected to his son that it seemed to
him most cruel and contrary to all humanity to leave his
children orphans and his wife a widow and all his house
desolate. But St. Willibald instilled into him [the idea]
that nothing was to be preferred to the love of God, and
that this cruelty for Christ was more humane than all
[natural] affection, and that only those who despised the
world would be co-heirs with Christ. Overcome at last by
the conversation of his truth-telling son, he promised that
he would obey and follow whithersoever his dear pledge
should lead him. The same happy ardour of St. Willibald
had also inflamed his brother Wunebald, the future founder
and Abbot of the Monastery of Heidenheim, and also their
sister, a model of virgins, Walpurga,^ and many others, not
I The Hodceporicon does not allude to Walburga having left England.
She was probably left at Wimborne, whence St. Boniface afterwards
invited her to Germaay.
40 THE ITINERARY OF
only of their kindred, but their countrymen, who took the
banner of the cross, that they might fly away bereft of all
and follow the King of glory.
IV. As the year advanced from spring to summer, as
soon as the winds permitted and the first promise [of calm]
smiled on the sea, the holy brothers, Willibald and Wune-
bald, with their father Richard and sister Walpurga, and
not a few others, in whose breasts the same ardour burned,
went on board ship, entered upon the longed-for journey,
and, happily favoured by winds, they landed on the bank
Rouen, of the river Seine, near the city which is called Rouen.
Lucca. Thence, going towards Rome, they came to Lucca, a city
of Tuscany ; and there their father, delivered from the
flesh, and having obtained the rewards which he merited
by following his son, they buried in the cemetery of St.
Prescian. From thence they reached the long-desired
Rome. Rome, and craved indulgence with tears of devotion from
the princes of the Apostles. There they visited the shrines
of the saints situated in those parts ; and, making sacrifices
of themselves every day to God on the altar of their hearts,
they stayed on from the Feast of St. Martin until Easter,
burned up by a severe [fever] sickness. However, during
this time the holy brothers were, by God's providence,
appointed to be a consolation to one another, so that, while
one lay in bed with an access of the disease one week, the
other, profiting by a temporary abatement, ministered to
the one that lay in bed. And thus alternating in their
occupation, one better and the other worse, the two holy
brothers took care of each other.
V. When, through the mercy of God, St. Willibald was
now thoroughly recovered and grew strong in health, out
of love of the heavenly Jerusalem he began to sigh after
the earthly one, and to see the places ennobled by the
footsteps of Christ. He, therefore, left his brother Wune-
r
SAINT WILLI BALD. 41
bald and his sister Walpurga in Rome, and accompanied by
two companions, himself making the third, he entered on
his victorious journey.
They came to Benevcntum, where St. Bartholomew Beneventm
rests, and found a ship driven in from Egypt. They went
on board, and with sails swelling with full bellies, they
touched at the port of Calabria, called Regia. Thence, Ressio.
crossing over to Sicily, they entered the city of the
Catanians, renowned for the body of St. Agatha the Virgin Catana.
and her patronage, when the Mount Etna boils up from its Mt. Etna,
lowest depths and, belching forth balls of flames, is wont to
hide the heavens heated with its burning cinders. Often-
times, when its liquid fire is burning the neighbouring
country, the people of Catana place before it the veil of the
tomb of the holy virgin, and they are not afraid of being
injured. From thence, after visiting the tomb of St. Lucy
at Syracuse, a city of the same island, they again trusted Syracuse,
themselves to the sea, and passing the islands of Choos
and Samos, they disembarked, their limbs exhausted with
the sea voyage, at Ephesus, an island [sic] of Asia. Ephesus.
There at the tomb of St. John the Evangelist they
poured forth their prayers with tears, marvelling at the
manna that bubbles forth from it ; and then they com-
mended themselves to the Seven Sleepers and to St. Mary
Magdalene,who rests there •} and afterwards, at the top of the
neighbouring mountain, at the place where the holy Evangelist
was accustomed to pray, they could not sufficiently wonder
at its being free and safe from all rain and storm. From
thence they came on foot a distance of two miles to the
city Sigila. There they begged some bread and refreshed Phygaia.
themselves, dipping it in the fountain which bubbles forth
with its waters 'clear to the bottom in the middle of the
^ So it is stated in the Greek Menology. But no tradition earlier
than the seventh century can be traced. See Bolland., Ac^a SS., Jul. 22,
42 THE ITINERARY OF
town. Passing the high mountain of the city of Strobolis,
Patara. they arrived at Patara, and there, as the icy winter made
the waves rough, they waited for the mildness of spring.
VI. At length they embarked and sailed across to the
mountain of the Galani, and that place being devastated
by the storm of war at that time, they suffered severely
from want. From thence they steered their course to
Cyprus. the Island of Cyprus, lying between the Greeks and
the Saracens ; and they spent Easter, which was then at
hand, at the city of Paphos ; and the equinox having
passed, they stayed there three weeks. Then they came
to the city of Constantia in the same island, which is
famous for the body and miracles of the holy prelate
Epiphanius,! and there they kept the Nativity of St. John
the Baptist. From thence they passed through the
AntaradJLs. Saracen city called Tharratas and came to the castle of
Emesa. Arahe, and came to Edissa in Phenicia, distinguished by
the relics of St. Thomas the Apostle, and the Epistle which
our Saviour wrote to King Abagarus.^ There is now to
be seen a church of wondrous workmanship, which Queen
Helena built in honour of St. John the Baptist, whose head
was long concealed in that city, but has since been trans-
lated thence to Jerusalem.
VII. Now St. Willibald himself made the eighth in
addition to seven of his fellow-countrymen who accom-
panied him. The Saracens, perceiving their strange
language and unknown dress, said that they had come
-j for treasonable purposes, and taking them before the
governor kept them in prison. But since to God no doors
are closed [Ke provided for them, and] there was a mer-
' Mentioned by Sozomen, H. E-, vi. 27. Salamis began to be called
Constantia in the time of St. Epiphanius, who died May 12, 403.
~ Of course this is a complete mistake, arising from the author con-
fusing Emesa with Edessa, concerning which latter city he had read
the account of King Agbarus in Eusebius, H. E., i., chap. .xiii.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 43
chant who ministered to them anything that they stood in
need of, and sometimes gave them a bath and took them
to the church. While they were detained in prison, a
certain Spaniard, who had a brother in the king's palace,
examined into the case of the servants of God, saints of
God, and by the aid of his. brother and the sailor who had
brought them across, made a defence before the king,
called Mirnujii, and obtained permission for them to depart.
VIII. Proceeding onwards, they came to Damascus, Damasus.
renowned for the relics of Ananias, who baptized Paul,
converted there by God himself Then, after pouring
out their prayers in that church, which now is conspicuous
in the place of St. PauPs conversion, they came into
Galilee to the town of Nazareth, from which Jesus also Nazareth.
is called the Nazarene ; and where the archangel Gabriel
appeared to Holy Mary ever Virgin, and announced to her
the incarnation of the Son of God in her womb ; and where,
becoming pregnant by the overshading of the Holy Ghost
in a way beyond all human thought, she conceived the
Son of God. There stands a church of fitting sanctity,
which has been many times redeemed at a price by the
Christians from the Saracens who attempted to pull it
down. Then, after visiting Ghana of Galilee, distinguished Chana.
by the first of our Lord's miracles, they passed over Mount
Tabor, where a community of monks is now gathered
together in honour of our Lord^s transfiguration. Going
on through the city of Tiberias, situated on the shore of Tiberias,
the sea, where our Lord made Peter walk with dry feet
upon the waters, and where the river Jordan flows through
the sea of Galilee, they came to Magdala, the town ofMagdaia.
Lazarus [stc] and his sisters. Thence, through Capharnaum Capharnaum.
standing on the other shore opposite, where our Lord
raised to life the daughter of the ruler, and where Zebedec,
the father of James and John, rests ; and through Beth- Bethsaida.
44
THE ITINERARY OF
Corozaim.
I'aneas.
saida, where a church now marks the house of Peter and
Andrew, they arrived at Corozaim, where our Lord drove out
the demons and permitted them to enter the herd of swine.
IX. Going hence, out of love of the sacred places, by a
winding route, they came to the rise of the two sources
[of Jordan] in the mountain of Phaneas, of which one is
called Jor and the other Dan, and one of them is on one
side, and the other on the other side of the city, which in
the Gospel is called Caesarea Philippi, and by the Phenicians
Paneas or Phaneas. These streams flow at a short distance
from the city itself, and, running together in their gentle
course, they are united in name, and form the Jordan,
which is distinguished by our Lord's Baptism. In that
same place they saw also certain herds of cattle, with long
backs, short legs, and extended horns, which, when the sun
makes the day hot, are accustomed to immerse themselves
all but their heads in the neighbouring pool. They reached
the above-mentioned Caesarea, where Peter was made the
keeper of the keys of heaven. There they went into the
church and saw a statue of Christ, at the foot of which,
when it stood in the open air, the grass used to spring up
with a wonderful power of unction (olei) in it, concerning
which the following account is read in ecclesiastical history.
It appears that the woman, whom [Christ] had healed of
the issue of blood, was a citizen of this place. Before the
doors of this woman's house is shown a kind of base placed
in a very conspicuous situation, on which is seen, figured in
bronze, an image of the woman herself, as it were falling on
her knees and stretching out her hands in a suppliant atti-
tude. Another statue is close by, also cast in bronze, with
the face and dress of our Lord, and a fringed garment
around him, and holding out his right hand to the pros-
trate woman. At the foot of the male statue there grows
a certain herb of a new species, springing out of the above-
SAINT WILLIBALD. 45
mentioned base, and it does not stop growing until it
touches the border of the garment of Jesus. And when
the growing herb touches that with its topmost shoot, it
acquires from it the power of driving out all diseases, so
that whatever the sickness may be, when a little water is
drunk in which the health-giving herb has been steeped, it
is driven out ; and yet if the herb should be cut off before
it has grown so as to touch with its top the bronze border,
it carries with it no virtue whatever. This statue Eusebius,
a writer of his times, testifies remained until his days, and
was seen by his own eyes.^ But this statue of Christ, the
most wicked apostate Julian, as we read in the Tripartite
History,^ took down and set up his own in its place. But
God, avenging at once such wickedness, smote asunder with
a stroke of lightning that statue of Julian ; and one part of
the head with the neck lies fixed in the ground, while the
other part remains in its place and attests the lightning flash.
The pagans broke up the statue of our Saviour, but the "
Christians collected the pieces and placed them in thechurch.
X. Passing on from thence, and following the streams of
the Jordan, they came to that place of the Jordan where
our Lord cleansed the waters formerly polluted by the
Flood, washing them by His own Baptism. There they
were bathed in the salutary liquid, and went on to Galgala, GaigaU
where the children of Israel set up, in testimony of their
own passing over, the twelve stones that they had taken
out of the Jordan. They then passed through Jericho, Jericho,
where the Jordan is about to lose its name and its flowing
and falls into the Dead Sea. They also visited the
monastery of St. Eustace, situated half-way between
Jericho and Jerusalem, and then they approached the
long-expected Jerusalem. There, what spot was there Jerusalem,
that had been the witness of our Lord's miracles or any
^ H. E., vii. 18. 2 Sozomen, H. E., v. 21.
46
THE ITINERARY OF
of His works on which Willibald the man of God did not
imprint his kisses ? What altar there that he did not
bedew with his tears and sighs ? With what devotion did not
he, crucified to the world, lay prostrate before our Lord's
Cross ? How did he cover with a scalding flood of tears
that stone which the angel rolled away from the door of
the sepulchre ?
He was detained for six weeks there tormented with a
most grievous illness, and yet it was not too grievous to
prevent him from going round the holy places, his zeal
making light of the labour. With what desire of seeing
Mt. s=on. the God of gods in Sion did he visit the church of Mount
Sion which stands in the midst of the city ? How devoutly
did he implore the aid of Stephen the protomartyr and
archdeacon of that same church, now^ translated thence?
XL At length they went out [of the city] and came into
the valley of Josaphat, where the tomb of Holy M.^ry is
shown. But whether the Apostles buried her there when
released from her body left here below, or whether perhaps
purposing to bury her after they had dug out the tomb
there, she was assumed with her body [into heaven] ; or if
after being buried she was hidden there, whether she was
taken thence and translated elsewhere, or having received
true immortality she has risen again, it is better to be in
doubt than to define anything apocryphal. Crossing over
Mt. Olivet. from thence, Mount Olivet received them, and they entered
the church, which is open at the top, and was built by the
care of Queen Helena on the place of our Lord's Ascension.
This place then, in which our Lord at the very hour of His
Ascension, surrounded by His disciples, had stood, and
from which, lifting up His hands, He led our captivity
captive, the marks of our Lord's Feet to this day most
clearly demonstrate. And [the ground] feeling itself, as it
were from the impression of those Feet, incomparably more
Valley of
Josaphat.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 47
precious than every artificial adornment, does not suffer
itself to be strewed with a pavement, nor to be covered by
a roof. These marks of our Lord's Feet St. Willibald and
his companions never ceased to wash with flowing tears, and
were able to say : * We have adored in the place where His
Feet have stood.' In that same church there are said to
stand two pillars in memory of the two angels, who said to
the disciples gazing on our ascending Lord, *Ye men of
Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven?' They
also report that whoever can creep round the wall of the
church between the pillars and the church wall, he merits
the pardon of his sins.
XII. Then he came to Bethlehem, where the ox knew Bethlehem,
his owner, and the ass his Lord's crib. On the way thither
he saw the well, of which he had previously wondered at
the account, and saw on the surface of the water, going
from edge to edge, the figure of the star, which appeared
to the Magi when our Lord was born, and led them to
Bethlehem on the thirteenth day after our Lord's Nativity.
From thence they went to Thecua, where the children of Tecua.
the agr of Christ were slain by Herod, and Nathanael,
hidden by his mother under a fig-tree, escaped ; and hence
our Lord said to him : * When thou wast under the fig-
tree, I knew thee.' Then by the Laura, where St. Saba s. Saba,
rests, they came to the village of Beitzur to the water,
which is dried up in the same place where it springs
forth. In that place it was that the Ethiopian, who came
from the uttermost parts of the earth to visit the Temple
of the Lord, was baptized by Philip, outrunning Israel who
was near at hand, and ' changed his skin,' that is, being
made white by faith he put off the blackness of sin. When
I This curious tradition is not mentioned in the Hoda'Poricon. It
may have been related to St. Willibald on ihe spot, as it does not occur
in any Commentary that I have seen.
48
THE ITINERARY OF
Gaza. they went from hence to Gaza, as he was hearing solemn
Mass at St Matthias, St. Willibald lost his eyesight.
Afframia. XIII. Then through the castle of Afframia, where the
three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with their
wives rest, he returned to Jerusalem, and having entered
the church built where the Holy Cross was found, he
received his sight after two months of blindness. Then,
Lydda. having visited the church of St. George at Diospolis [he
joppa. passed] through Joppe, a coast town of Palestine, where
Peter raised to life the widow Dorcas, and went along the
shore of the Adriatic Sea, and adored the footsteps of our
Tyre. Lord at Tyre and Sidon. And then, crossing Mount
Libanus, and passing through the coast town of Tripo'i,
Emmaus. he visited Damascus again, and came to Emmaus, a village
of Palestine, which the Romans after the destruction of
Jerusalem called, after the event of the victory, Nicopolis,
There, in the house of Cleopas, now changed into a church,
they adored Him, who was in that house known by the
breaking of bread ; and desiring the well of living water,
he saw the fountain which is on the high road, in which
Christ, on the same day on which He rose again from the
dead, walked with the two disciples, and turned aside as
though to another town. For there is the fountain at
which' Christ, when He lived on earth, is said to have
come, and having made a certain journey, washed His
feet in it; and from that time the same water has been
made by God efficacious in various medicinal ways, so that
when it is drunk it infuses the presence of health from any
ailments both of man and beast.
Jerusalem. XIV. Then St. Willibald came to Jerusalem a third
time, and stayed there the whole winter. Nevertheless,
after travelling through Syria, he again visited Jerusalem
Sebastia. for the fourth time. And then he passed through Sebastia,
famous for the tomb of St. John the Baptist, although it
SAINT WILLIBALD. 49
had been destroyed in the time of Julian the apostate ; and
also for the relics of the prophets Abdias and Eliseus, and
the well where our Lord asked a drink from the Samaritan
woman. He saw the mountain Garizim, on which the
Samaritan woman said that the fathers of the Samaritans
had been used to pray. And they came to the head of
Mount Libanus, near to Tyre and adjoining the mountain, Tyre.
and on their journey they encountered a fierce attack from
lions. From thence, after a long waiting at Tyre for a
ship, they began their voyage on the Feast of St. Andrew,
and were at sea through the whole winter, and only just
before Easter Week arrived at Constantinople, celebrated Con-
stantinople.
for the relics of the holy Apostles Andrew, Timothy, and
Luke the Evangelist, and John Chrysostom. There they
stayed for two years, and meanwhile crossed over to Nicea,
the city of Bithynia, where Constantine assembled the
hundred and eighteen bishops to discuss the controversy
between Arius and Athanasius, the Alexandrian leaders ;
and there is the church in which they sat at the Council,
with no roof over it, like that on Mount Olivet. Returning
to Constantinople, and traversing again the sea-passage by
the cities of Sicily, Syracuse, and Catana, they arrived at Sidiy.
Rhegium, and thence to Naples, and so to Capua.
XV. At length, when the autumn was drawing in towards
the winter, St. Willibald settled himself on Monte Cassino, m. Cassina
at the monastery of St. Benedict, under the Abbot Petronax.
And this was the tenth year from the beginning of his exile,
and the eighth from his setting out from Rome.
After the holy man had united himself to the monks of
the place aforesaid, he exhibited in himself most fully the
type of conventual life and most religious conversation.
And therefore the love of all was attracted towards him,
and the first year after he came he was made sacristan of
the church; in the second, dean of the monastery; and
4
50 THE ITINERARY OF
after that for eight years porter^ in the two monasteries
founded there — four years at the monastery at the top of
the mountain, and four years more at the monastery lower
down near the river Raphito.
XVI. At that very time in the countries of the Teutons
there was a celebrated man, Boniface, both in deed and
name, Archbishop of the Church of Mayence. He was also
an Englishman by birth, and a relation of St. Willibald,
and he was afterwards, having converted the ferocious
Frisians, to be a renowned martyr of Christ. He, when he
was considering over the planting of the nourishing (seed)
of the Christian religion, and earnestly seeking to collect
from every quarter able and needful (labourers) for this
work, heard of the fame of St. Willibald, and how he was
wholly given to divine contemplation at Monte Cassino.
When, therefore, the said Archbishop came to Rome, after
conferring with the Apostolic Ruler on the state of the
Catholic Church, he added, that he was sorely exercised in
himself about the Archbishopric of Mayence, committed to
his own care, wide and spacious in land and territory, but
wretched in the extreme from its pagan usages. The
harvest was great, but the labourers were few, and when
unavoidable necessity compelled its pastor to render an
account of what was committed to him, and the blood of
his subjects should be required of the prelate set over
them, one pastor was not sufficient for so numerous a flock.
I The Rule of St. Benedict prescribes : 'Let such men be chosen
Deans as the Abbot may safely trust to share his burdens ; let them
not be chosen according to order, but for the merit of their lives, and
for their wisdom and learning.' — Rule, chap. xxi.
The Porter : ' At the gate of the monastery let there be placed a wise
old man, who knoweth how to give and receive an answer, and whose
ripeness of years suffereth him not to wander about.' — Chap. Ivi.
These offices are eloquent testimonies to the mature wisdom of the
still youthful Willibald,
SAINT WILLIDALD. 51
And so, if God willed, and if the Apostolic authority per-
mitted, he had resolved to divide that diocese, and establish
two bishops in it, so that a less numerous charge might
preserve the flock, and relieve the pastor. He also said
that there was at Monte Cassino a monk, one Willibald,
who had for love of God left his parents and country, and,
after a period spent in the long labour of travelling and
visiting the holy places, was there devoted to the service of
God. To him he wished to commit one of his proposed
bishoprics, if the Lord Pope would charge himself with
withdrawing him from his monastery, and send him to him.
Gregory ruled at that time over the Apostolic See, the
third of that name, and the ninety-first pope. He, having
heard the laudable desire of Archbishop Boniface, approved
of his intention, and promised that St. Willibald should be
sent; and then, folding Boniface to his heart with long
embraces, and sobs full of affection, he let him depart.
XVn. Not long after this, St. Willibald, having com- Rome,
pleted ten years at Monte Cassino, came to Rome, by the
permission of his abbot, Petronax, with a certain brother of
theirs, a Spaniard by nation. The blessed Pope, when he
heard of his coming, called for him, and, after many
questions and answers, made known to him the request of
St. Boniface. Willibald thought it hard, and contrary
to the life that he had proposed for himself. He urged
that he had renounced his own [country, and friends, and
goods],! that he who had trampled the world under his
feet ought not again to be entangled in worldly affairs,
and he did not wish to be deprived of the peace that he
had prepared for himself in this vale of tears ; neither was
it the part of a prudent man, or of one sound in mind, who,
after a dreadful shipwreck had gained the port, that he
should with hesitating steps again trust himself to the sea
* Propria.
4-2
53 THE ITINERARY OF
which had threatened him with a cruel death.^ On which
the Pope then used these or similar words to him : ' The
love of God is proved by the love of our neighbour.
Hence, when [our Lord] heard Peter say three times that
he loved Him, He committed to him the care and feeding
of the flock. Divinely instructed by this, the holy Fathers
have committed the episcopate to many who have been
torn away from the quiet of the monastery, and many from
solitary contemplation. My predecessor and namesake,
Gregory, though in mind and habit a monk, was set over
the Apostolic See. Moses the hermit, famous for innumer-
able miracles in the desert, was torn away from the solitary
life that he was leading at the request of Queen Manuia to
the Roman Emperor, and placed as bishop over the nation
of the Saracens, and in a short time he won to Christ that
most fierce nation, and clothed them in the fleece of
lambs.2 Therefore, whoever indued with [necessary]
powers refuses prelacy, and prefers his own peace to the
welfare of others, will be deserving of suffering the pains of
^ This conversation lacks the simplicity of that related in the
Hodocporicon^ although it is by no means inconsistent with it.
2 The Roman Martyrology says, on February 27, ' In Egypt the
feast of Moses, a venerable bishop, who at first led a solitary life in
the desert', then, at the request of Mauvia, Queen of the Saracens,
was made bishop, converted that most ferocious nation in great part
to the faith, and made glorious by his merits rested in peace.'
It is curious that the very next entry, on the same day, should be :
'At Lucca, in Tuscany, the burial of St. Richard, King of the
English.'
Sozomen gives a very graphic account of how Queen Mavia (she
was so called by Socrates, etc., though some writers give the name
Mania, and our author combines the two into Manuia) defeated the
forces of the Emperor Valens, about a.d. 373, and refused to make
peace unless Moses was given to her for their bishop. Moses refused
to be consecrated by Lucius, the Arian successor of St. Athanasius,
and Valens was obliged to send him to the exiled bishops in order to
receive consecration. See Sozomen, H. E., vi. 38.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 53
as many damned [souls] as the number of sinners whose
morals he might have corrected if he had been a prelate.'
By these and such-like arguments the mind of St. Willi-
bald was moved, and, throwing himself at the feet of the
Pope, he professed himself ready to submit his devoted
shoulders to whatever burthen might be imposed upon
him. And thus, much instructed and fortified with the
apostolic benediction, he was directed, a saint to a saint,
Willibald to Boniface ; and the holy Archbishop received
him as an angel sent down from heaven, embraced him
with gracious affection, and honoured him most worthily.
XVIII. Henceforward, the case of his own vocation
having been made clear to him, [Boniface] asked St. Willi-
bald to be so good as to go and look at the place over
which he was to be set as prelate. It was a place in the
confines of Bavaria, called Eihstat, handed over to the same Eihstat'
Archbishop, and delivered to him by a certain pious and
religious [prince] named Suiger, for holy uses in view of a
Divine reward. In this place St. Boniface, while it was
still in his own diocese, had determined to found a bishopric,
and to set St. Willibald over it. He went, he saw, and he
approved of it ; and returned to St. Boniface ; and then, in
his company, again went to his own place, and received
there, by the consecration of the archbishop, the perfection
of the rank of the priesthood. Without any delay he
began to lay the foundations of his church, to mark out the
cloister and offices for the clergy, and wisely to arrange all
things necessary for divine service.
When a year had elapsed he heard that the Archbishop
was in Thuringia ; and, on his way to him he received an
acceptable hospitality at his brother Wunebald's, whom he
had not seen for eight years and a half, since they parted
in Rome. From thence he went to his archbishop at
Salzburg, where, with the concurrence of the body of Salzburg.
54 THE ITINERARY OF
bishops, and the consenting voice of the clergy and people,
he received episcopal consecration and the see of the church
of Eihstat, being then in the forty-first year of his age.
Having, then, undertaken the episcopal charge, he gave
himself no rest, day and night preaching the Word of God,
arousing the sluggish mind of that nation, little careful of
the future, to the hope of heavenly [joys], and, putting
aside the care of vain things, he led them to seek those
that are eternal. And, lest the husbandman of the faith
should reap little profit, that which he planted by his word
he watered by his life consistent with his teaching. In a
short time the rude field of wretched hearts so responded
to the working of the Gospel mattock, that the fruit was
seen to rise out of the ignorant ground, the weeds of errors
were uprooted, and the ruddy cornfields and vineyards of
the God of Hosts sprang up.
XIX. After he had moulded his diocese most worthily
with the rules of wholesome life for seven years,^ he desired
to be dissolved and to be with Christ, he rendered up his
spirit to his Creator, and was buried in the church over
which he had presided. How great in merit he is now
with God is testified by the crown of justice which the
brilliant miracles at his tomb bear witness that he has
received.
NOTE ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF ST. WILLIBALD.
The pilgrimage of Willibald was made a few years after the defeat of
Moslemah before the walls of Constantinople ; and whilst the war
between the Byzantines and the Arabs was being carried on, in a
desultory manner, along the southern slopes of the Taurus. This may
explain the scarcity of provisions on the south coast of Asia Minor (XI.) ;
and the suspicion with which Willibald and his companions were
regarded upon their arrival at Emesa (XH.). Once having entered
' This is a mistake. St. Willibald was consecrated in 741, and did
not die until a.d. 786, after an episcopate of forty-five years. * Seven
times seven years ' would have been nearer the mark.
SAINT WILLI BALD. 55
the country under Arab rule, they appear to have been well treated -^
and to have experienced no difficulty in moving from place to place.
This accords with the well-known tolerance of the Ommiad Khalifs ;
and the apparently hurried departure of the pilgrims may have been
due to the active renewal of the war with Byzantium, and the general
excitement attending Moslemah's invasion of Asia Minor.
It seems probable that the Waltham (Waldheim) at which Willibald
was brought up was Bishop's Waltham, in Hampshire, and not the
more famous Waltham Abbey. At any rate, he and his companions
embarked at the mouth of the Hamble (Hamel-Muth), which rises
near Bishop's Waltham, and falls into the Southampton Water a little
below Netley ; and they appear to have sailed up the Seine as far as
Rouen. Thence they journeyed to Rome, and after a prolonged stay
there proceeded to Ephesus, visiting on the way Syracuse, the Pelo-
ponnesus, Chios, Samos, and other places. The route from Ephesus
presents some difficulties from the fact that Willibald is said (XL) to
have sailed from Patara to Miletus (Milite) and thence to the mountain
of the Galliani, and Cyprus. It has been suggested that the pilgrims
went by land to Patara, passing Hierapolis (Stroboli, derived from
eIq rriv lepoLTToXiv) ; and that they afterwards returned to Miletus, where
they took ship for Cyprus. But a land journey, from Hierapolis across
the rough Lycian mountains to Patara, would have been most unusual,
especially in late autumn or early winter ; and it is far more natural to
suppose that Miletus is misplaced in the narrative, and that they
travelled in the usual and easier way, by water, from Miletus to Patara.
According to this view, which receives some support from the omission
of Miletus in 'the Itinerary," the pilgrims walked along the coast from
Ephesus to Pygela (Figila), Trogilium (Strobolis), and Miletus, whence
they sailed for Patara. Having passed the winter at that place they
crossed over to the Promontorium Sacrum, or to Anemurium (moun-
tain of the Galliani), and thence to Paphos, now Bapho., in Cyprus.
From Cyprus they proceeded to Antaradus (Tharrataj, now Tcwtus),
whence they travelled up the Valley of the Eleutherus, now A\ihr
el-Kebir^ past Arche (probably derived from Macra), the Crusading
Krak des Chevaliers^ to Emesa, now Hujns, where they were im-
prisoned as spies.
The journey through the Holy Land presents no special features of
interest ; the value of the Hodoeporicon lies in its being the only
narrative extant of a pilgrimage in the eighth century, and thus form-
ing a connecting link between Arculfus (670) and Bernardus Monachus
(865). Willibald was above all things a pilgrim — a visitor of sacred
places, and an adorer of saintly relics ; he was not a scientific observer.
We learn little about the people, the condition of the country'? or the y^
state of the towns ; and the only things that seem to have interested
him, outside his religious duties, are the buffalo at Tell el-Kddy^ the
lion he encountered on the plain of Esdraelon, and the eruption on the
island of Vulcano. Still there are many notices of interest, such as
those of the church, two miles from Damascus, at the place where
St. Paul was converted ; the black-mailing of the Christians of -^
Nazareth by the Arabs, who threatened to destroy the church ; and of
the church on Mount Tabor, the only remaining representative of the
three churches seen by Antoninus and Arculfus (XI 1 1.). Capharnaum,
Bethsaida, and Chorazin were visited, but the narrative (XIV.) does
not assist us in determining their sites. It only seems clear that
56 NOTE ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF ST. WILLIBALD.
Chorazin was not at Kerazeh^ and may have been at Khersa^ on the
eastern shore of the lake. The church, at the place where Christ was
baptized in Jordan, built on lofty vaults, by the Emperor Anastasius,
to protect it against the floods of the river, was still standing (XVI.) ;
and so was the wooden church at Galgala in which the ' twelve stones'
from Jordan were kept (XVII.). The most interesting notices of the
Holy Places at Jerusalem are : the reference to the Church of Calvary,
with the three memorial crosses outside its eastern wall ; the state-
ments that the stone in front of the door of the sepulchre was a copy
of the one which the angel rolled away (XVIII.), and that the Church
of Sion was in the middle of Jerusalem (see Appendix II., Antoninus) ;
the connection of Solomon's Porch with the Pool of Bethesda (XIX,) ;
and the allusion to a column, outside the gate leading to the Valley of
Jehoshaphat, which marked the spot where, according to tradition,
the Jews wished to carry off the body of the Virgin Mary as she was
being borne to the tomb by the Apostles (XX., XXI.).
There is an interesting reference to the Church of the Nativity at
Bethlehem as cruciform (XXII.) ; and Hebron is called Aframia,
possibly a corrupt form of Abrahamia (XXIV.). Before visiting
Hebron Willibald appears to have travelled to Gaza by the road
followed by Antoninus, and Theodosius in the sixth century, but he
does not mention several of the places pointed out to them, such as
the place where David killed Goliath, Samson's fountain, etc. Pie
agrees with the earlier pilgrims in placing the tombs of St. John the
Baptist, Obadiah and Elisha at Samaria, but falls into a curious error
with regard to Jacob's Well, which he says was near the fortress
Sebastia (XXVII.). Perhaps, as he mentions the mountain on which
the Samaritans worshipped in connection with the well, he may have
forgotten the distinction between Samaria and Shechem at the time
he dictated his narrative. It may be remarked, however, that Anto-
ninus makes a similar error, and writes of 'Samaria which is now
called Neapolis ' (VI.), where there was a church dedicated to St. John
the Baptist. On leaving Palestine Willibald followed the road from
Ptolemais to Tyre across the Rds el-Abyad^ which he calls 'the head
of Libanus,' and here the Arabs appear to have established a guard-
house (the tower of Libanus), at which travellers were obliged to show
their passports. From Tyre he went by sea to Constantinople, and
there he remained two years in the monastery attached to the great
Church of St. Sophia, in which John Chrysostom was buried. The
years were those during which the iconoclastic policy of Leo III. was
convulsing the Eastern and Western worlds, and embittering the contest
which ended in the separation of Central Italy from the Byzantine
Empire. But of those stirring events we are told nothing ; the only
interesting information in the chapter (XXIX.) devoted to Constanti-
nople is that the church at Nicsea, in which the Council was held, was
similar to the Church of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives, and
therefore circular in plan. From Constantinople Willibald returned
to Italy, and eventually passed on to the scene of those labours with
which his name will ever be identified.
c. w. W.
INDEX.
Abraham's Tomb, 24, 48
Abagarus, Agbarus, King, 42
Adriatic Sea, 10, 25, 48
Aframia, 24, 48
Agatha, St., her veil, la. 41
Age-Mons (Tabor), 15 [43
Ananias's Tomb at Damascus, 15,
Antarardus, 12, 42
Arahe, Area, 12, 42
Ascension, Church of, 22, 47
Assumption of Blessed Virgin,
21,46
Baptism of Christ, 18, 44, 45
Bavarians, 35, 36, 53
Beitzur, 48
Benedict, St., Abbey of, 31, 33,
49-52
Beneventum, 9, 41
Bethlehem, 22, 47
Bethsaida, 16, 44
Boniface, St., Apostle of Germany,
i, iii, 32, 50 ; consecrates Willi-
bald, 33, 34, 53
Cassarea Philippi, 17, 25, 44
Calvary, 19
Cana, Chana, of Galilee, 15, 43
Capharnaum, 16, 44
Capua, 31, 49
Carta, Garda, 33
Cassino, Monte, 31, 49, 50, 51
Catana, 9, 29, 41, 49
Chelidonium, 11, 42
Choos, Chios, 10, 41
Constantia, Salamis, 11, 42
Constantinople, 28, 49
Corinth, 10
Corozain, 16, 44
Cross on Saxon estates, 4. 38
Cross, Holy, at Jerusalem, 19, 20,
24, 46, 48
Cyprus, II, 15, 42
Damascus, 15, 25, 26, 43. 48
Dan and Jor, 16, 44
Dertona, Chortuna, Gorthonic, 7
Didymus, Mountains of, 30
Egwald, Egilward, Abbot, 5, 38
Eihstadt, Eichstadt, 33, 35, 53, 54
Eliseus, Elisha, The Prophet, 19,
Emesa, 12, 25, 42 [26
Emmaus, 43
Ephesus, 10, 41
Epiphany, The, 18
Etna, Mount, 9, 41
Eustochius, Eustachius, or
Euthymius, Monastery of, 19, 46
Figila, Phygagala, Sigila, 10, 41
Frigidian, St., at Lucca, i, 7, 40
Frisinga, Willibald at, 33
Gaieta, Gaeta, 9
Galgala, Gilgal, 18, 19, 45
Garizim, Mount, 49
Gaza, 24, 48
Gregory III., Pope, 32, 51, 52
Hamel-muth, Hamweh, 7
i Heidenheim, Abbey of, ii, 34, 39
' Helena, St., Empress, 12, 19, 47
Heliseus, see Eliseus
Hodceporicon, The, ii, i , 37
Itinerarium S. Willibaldi, i, 37
Jericho, 19, 46 [49
Jerusalem, 9, 19-22, 24-26, 40, 46,
■58
INDEX.
Jiljulieh, 19
John the Evangelist, St., 10, 41
John the Baptist, St., 12, 18, 42, 49
Joppa, 25, 48
Jordan, The, 17, 18, 19, 44, 46
Josaphat, Valley of, 21, 46
Libanus, Mount, 25, 27, 49
Litany in Greek, 12
Luca, Lucca, 7, 33, 40, 52
Lydda, Ludd, Diospolis, 25. 48
Magdalum, 16, 43
Magdalene, St. Mary, 16, 34, 41
Manafasia, Monembasia, 10
Mary, Blessed Virgin, 15, 21, 43,
46
Manuia, Mania, Mavia, Queen, 52
Naples, 9, 49
Nazareth, 15. 43
Nicaea, 28, 49
Olivet, Mount, 12, 28, 46, 47
Paneas, Banias, Phaneas, 17, 44,45
Paphos, 11, 42
Patara, il, 42
Peter, St., 8, 16, 25, 32, 40, 43i 44, 52
Petronax, Abbot, 31, 32, 33, 40,43.
44, 49, 51
Regia, Regium, Reggio, 9, 29, 41
Richard, St., father of St. Wiili-
bald, i, 6, 7, 39
Rome, 8. 32^ 40, 50, 51, 52
Rotum, Rouen, 7, 40
Saba, St., Laura of, 23, 47
Salamaitha, 25
Samaria, Sebastia, 26, 49
Saracens, The, 11-15, 25, 42, 43, 52
Sepulchre, Holy, 20, 46
Seven Sleepers, The, 10, 41
Sidon, 25, 48
Sigona, the River Seine, 7, 40
Sion, Holy, 20, 21, 46
Solomon's Porch, 20
Strobolis, Trogyllium, 11, 42
Suitgar, Count, 33, 53
Syracuse, 10, 29, 41, 49
Tabor, Mount, 15, 43
Talamais, Ptolemais, 23
Terracina, 9
Tharratas, Antarardus, 12. 42
Thecua, Tecua, 23, 47
Theoderic. Hell of, 29, 30
Tiberias, 16, 43
Tripoli, 25
Vulcano, Island of, 29
Walburga, St., i, ii, 39, 40, 41
Waldheim, Waltham, 5, 39
Willibald, St. : his parentage, i ;
infancy, 4, 38 ; enters a monas-
tery, 5 ; his pilgrimage, 6, 39 ;
buries his father at Lucca, 7, 40 ;
at Rome, 8, 40 ; pilgrimage to
Holy Land, 9-19, 41-46 ; at Con-
stantinople, 28, 49 ; at Monte
Cassino, 31, 50 ; conversation
with Pope, 32, 52, 53 ; ordained
priest, 33, 54 ; consecrated Bisho])
of Eichstadt, 34, 54 ; his labour,
iii, 35, 54, 55 ; his death and
character, iii, 36, 54
Winna, mother of St. Willibald, i
Woman with issue of blood, Statue
of, 44, 45
Wunebald, Winibald, brother of
St. Willibald, i, 3, 7, 34, 39, 40,
Wynfrith, see Boniface, St. [54
THE END.
BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS, GUILDFORD.
flalestine Jilgrints' ^ext §odetg.
[Volume 3]
DESCRIPTION OF SYRIA,
INCLUDING PALESTINE.
BY
MUKADDASI
(CiRC. 985 A.D.).
^ransljittb from tlw 3^rabJc anb Jlttnotatcb bg
GUY LE STRANGE.
LONDON :
24, HANOVER SQUARE, W.
1896.
BILLING AND SONS, PRTNTEKS, OUlIDFOnD
PREFACE,
Shams ad DIn— 'the Sun of Religion ' — Abu Abd Allah
Muhammad, the son of Ahmad, the son of Abu Bakr the
Architect, commonly known as Mukaddasi — the Hiero-
solomite — was born at Jerusalem in the year of the Flight,
336 (a.d. 946). For his personal history, we have to rely
entirely on what can be put together from such incidental
references to his adventurous career as occur in the pages
of his book, for no biography of him is to be found in the
volumes of Ibn Khallikan, nor has any notice of his life
been met with in the voluminous compilations of the his-
toriographers or the contemporary annalists. Mukaddasi
makes no special mention of his father, Ahmad, but his
grandfather, Abu Bakr, appears to have acquired fame
throughout Syria as an architect, for besides numerous
minor works, his grandson gives an interesting account
of his labours at the Port of Acre, which he undertook
to reconstruct and fortify at the command of Ibn Tulun,
the then ruler of Egypt, in whose dominions Syria
was included. The family name Oi Mukaddasi was Al
Bashari, and we gather that his paternal ancestors had
been settled in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem ever
since the early days of the Muslim conquest. His
mother's family had originally belonged to the town
of Biyar, m the province of Jurjan, in Persia, not far
PREFACE.
from the frontier of Khurasan ; and from thence his.
maternal grandfather, Abu-t Tayib ash Shawa, had
migrated during the troublous days which witnessed the
rise of the Khurramite sect, and accompanied by eighteen
of his kinsmen had come to settle in Jerusalem. Abu-t
Tayib would appear to have been a man of considerable
»vealth, and a kindred taste in literary and artistic matters,
leading him to form a close friendship with Abu Bakr,
the architect, the alliance between the families was
cemented by the marriage of their children. Muhammad
al Mukaddasi, the child of this marriage, inherited a strong
predilection for architectural subjects from both his grand-
fathers ; and the natural bent being fostered by his educa-
tion, such notices of the various buildings as he met with,
during his travels, and described in his book, are the more
valuable, by reason of the careful and almost scientific
detail of his description, and the just use of the appropriate
technical terms.
Mukaddasi, as appears from his book, had the advantage
of an excellent education. He was no mean proficient in
the theological and juridical sciences of the day, and be-
sides this was sufficiently versed in mercantile affairs to
turn his voyages to profit. He takes occasion himself to
remark that his talents, both as theologian and merchant,
had frequently served him in good stead during his
journeys, and further had made him friends among all
classes. In 356 A.H. (967 A.D.), when he had attained
the age of twenty, he visited for the first time Mecca, and
performed the rites of the pilgrimage. It was only when,
he had attained his fortieth year, however, and after long,
journeys and much study, that he ventured to set him-
self to the composition of his book. * For years past,' he
writes in his preface, * I have devoted myself to this Science
of Geography, which, alas ! of others is now so neglected ;
PREFACE.
and though it may be in but a perfunctory manner, I
have constantly studied the Art thereof, having it in mind
to write a description of all the countries of Islam.* After
briefly indicating the points which he deems most worthy
of discussion in a compendium of Geography, he proceeds
to give an account of his labours, which are, perhaps, best
described in his own words, though in translating them
we have somewhat condensed the form. ' Now for the
purpose of writing this book I have spent my substance in
jcurneyings, and have worn myself out in mercantile
voyagings. And I have begun to write it only now after
sojourning long time in m.any lands, visiting all the
countries of Islam, everywhere frequenting the society of
the Learned, serving in the service of Princes, attending the
Courts of the Judges, listening to the lectures of the Juris-
prudists, and so attaining to all the knowledge that I could,
in both Letters and the Scriptures. For a time I studied
the Traditions, and then passing through the schools of the
Ascetics and Sufi philosophers, lived among the Rhetoricians,
and the Rhapsodists. In every country I made myself a
home, trading among the people whereby to gain a liveli-
hood, eating with all manner of men, learning all things oi
each one, walking a-foot on my journeys that I might
measure the distances, searching out the boundaries of the
provinces, acquiring by practice the dialects of each nation,
noting the complexion of. the race in every clime, and
becoming initiated into the secrets of their religious sects.
And thus in every land have I inquired and made myself
acquainted with its divisions and zones, its climate, its
waters, its natural wealth, and its physical peculiarities.'
All this preparatory work Mukaddasi carried out systema-
tically during a full score of years, and hence it is not
surprising that he ended by writing a book totally unlike
any that had yet appeared. Others, such as Ibn HaukaL
vi PREFACE,
Istakhri, and Ibn Khurdadbih had written Road-books,
describing the various countries of Islam, and detailing
their chief towns and their rivers and mountains; 'but
1/ boasts Mukaddasi, ' have not plagiarized from their
writings — and he who has read their works will acknow-
ledge this. Also, though my book be amenable to
criticism, yet since all that I have written is of my very
own experience, herein must it differ from all previous
works In each case I have clearly stated such
scenes as I have witnessed with my own eyes, and have
given the authority where I describe from the reports of
others ; also do I make no excuse for mentioning such
celebrated personages as I have met with in my travels/
Mukaddasi's preface ends by stating that he completed
his work in the year of the Flight, 375 (A.D. 985), *in the
chief town of Fars, which same is in the dominion of the
Commander of the Faithful, Abu Bakr 'Abd al Karim At
Tai' Billah ; while over the Lands of the West rules
Abu Mansur Nizar Al 'Aziz Billah, Commander of the
Faithful/
These two rival Commanders of the Faithful were
At Tai\ the twenty-fourth Khalif of the House of 'Abbas,
who was reigning at Baghdad, and Al 'Aziz, the fifth of
the Fatimite Khalifs of Egypt, the father of the celebrated
mad Khalif Hakim, whose apotheosis is a chief tenet of
the religion of the Druzes. As contemporary with
Mukaddasi, we may call to mind that, in A.D. 985, far
away from Syria, here in the west, in England, the Saxon
Ethelred the Unready was making his last feeble
struggle against the Danes, alternately bribing with Dane-
gelt, and treacherously ordering massacres, both courses
inevitably leading to the coming of Canute. Across t^e
Channel Hugh Capet, Count of Paris and Orleans, was, in
987, proclaimed King of France, at Noyon ; while fitteer
PREFACE. vVt
years before this date the great Emperor Otto had died,
and ten years had yet to run before Hungary was to be-
come Christian under King Stephen. More than a century,
counting from the days when our author was penning his
description of Palestine, had to elapse before the pilgrimage
of Hermit Peter to Jerusalem (a.d. 1093) and the decrees
of the Council of Clermont would start the chivalry of the
West on their long Crusade against the powers of Islam ;
and on this point it is curious to note how little, according
to Mukaddasi's account, the Christian Pilgrims had, during
his age, to suffer for the sake of their religion at the hands
of the rulers of Syria. Christians and Jews, he says, had the
upper hand then in Jerusalem. But these were the days
before the mad Khalif Hakim had set his soldiers to destroy
the Church of the Resurrection at Jerusalem (a.d. ioio),
and there was then no tax imposed on the pilgrim as the
price of his admission into the Holy City. From the time
of Omar, who had made the treaty with the Patriarch
Sophronius, down to the period of Hakim's furious
onslaught — for over three centuries and a half — the pil-
grims from the West had, with small hindrance, been able to
visit all the sacred sites of Palestine ; and over and above
their spiritual advantages, they found in their pilgrimage
no mean source of worldly gain, for there was great profit
arising from mercantile dealings with the Saracens. As
Mukaddasi quaintly puts it, *the Holy Land is truly a
mine of profit both for This World and the Next.'
In the times to which we are alluding — that is, towards
the close of the ninth century of our era — there were three
Khalifs, each styling himself the Commander of the Faith-
ful, and peaceably reigning, if not actually ruling, in parts
of the now disunited Empire of Islam. Far in the West,
at Cordova, reigned Hisham II., tenth Khalif of the Spanish
Omeyyads; and though in his days the Muhammadan
tiii PREFACE.
power in Andalusia was already on the wane, the great
schools of Seville and Cordova were already rising to become
the centres whence radiated such learning as could pierce
the gloom of the Middle Ages. In Egypt, as before noted,
ruled the fifth Fatimite Khalif Al 'Aziz, father of the mad
Hakim, who succeeded in A.II. 382 (a.d. 992). The
Fatimites based their claim to the Commanding of the
Faithful on their alleged descent from the Imam Hiisain,
the son of the Khalif 'Ali, and Fatimah, daughter of the
Prophet. They were powerful sovereigns, and at one time
governed, from their metropolis at Cairo, the greater part
of Northern Africa, with Syria, and the Hijjaz, including
the two Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina. During the
270 years that their dynasty held power, the Fatimites
were the great rivals of the Abbaside Khalifs ; and half a
eentury after the date of our author, in A.H. 447 (a.d. 1055),
their generals were pillaging Baghdad itself, forcing the
Khalif Al Kaim to flee for his life to Ana, while, during
forty weeks the public prayers were read in the name of
the Fatimite Khalif in the Mosques of the Abbaside
capital on the Tigris.
During the days of Mukaddasi, however, it was At Tai',
of the House of Abbas, who was the Khalif, in name,
at Baghdad. During the earlier years of his reign all the
power of the state had been centred in the hands of the
great Buyide prince, whose province was Persia, Adud ad
Daulah. After the latter's death, however, in A.H. 372
(a.D. 982), his sons and successors began to quarrel over
the spoil ; and although — during half a century yet of
bloodshed and turmoil — the Buyides were supreme in
Baghdad, being the viceroys of the Khalif, who had now
made formal renunciation of his temporal dominion, their
star was already on the wane before the rising power of
the Seljuk Turks, who were nov/ becoming heritors of
PREFACE. ix
the rule of the Samanide Amirs in all the fertile lands of
Central Asia. Upper Mesopotamia and the northern parts
of Syria were, in Mukaddasi's days, in the hands of the
Hamdani princes, who dwelt at Mosul and Aleppo ; and
far away in Afghanistan, as yet unknown to fame, Mahmiid,
of Ghaznah, was a boy-commander in his father's armies,
already preparing himself for the conquest of India.
Such, in briefest outline, was the condition of things
political at the time when Mukaddasi wrote his work. Of
the writing of the book itself some account has already
been given. The chapter which is here translated will
afford a fair specimen of the general style of our author ;
and since he was, herein, describing his native land, he
wrote with ample knowledge of the subject, and hence with
greater fulness than in the other sections of his work. Of
the whole book, the present chapter occupies barely a tenth
part ; for besides a long preface on personal matters, and
a detailed exposition of the contents of his work, with
remarks on ' Orientation * and the ' Dimensions of
Countries,' our author treats in separate chapters, of th^
Arabian Peninsula, and then, in turn, of each of the
countries of the East, from Mesopotamia to Turkistan
and Sind, following which come Egypt and the countries
of the West as far as Spain, which last, however, he had
not himself visited.
As regards style, Mukaddasi's book, in the original, is
pleasant to read, from the vigorous, idiomatic language in
which it is written. In the preface he states that in the de-
scription of each country he intends to. make use of such
expressions as are current in the vernacular dialect ; and
he writes his introduction, he says, in the idiom of his own
dear land of Syria. It is not surprising, therefore, to dis-
cover that many of his words are lacking in our Arabic
dictionaries ; and the text, even with the learned Dutch
PREFACE.
editor's notes and glossary, is not always easy to translate.
Our author's descriptions are, however, clear and succinct,
and his diction is, as a rule, simple and straightforward. If
at times he wastes, as we should think, valuable space in an
endeavour to make a display of his casuistical adroitness,
somewhat may be excused him for the fashion of his age,
when all great wits employed their ingenuity in the
puerilities of dialectic ; and as regards Mukaddasi's quib-
bling, it may be affirmed that he is not more futile in his
subtleties than are many of the great schoolmen who
followed in the succeeding centuries.
The translation here given was my work during the
winter of the year 1884, when I was living at Haifa, in
Palestine. The text I had before me is that so admirably
edited by De Goeje, in his ' BIbliotheca Geographorum
Arabicorum,^ Leyden, 1877. Since my return to England
I have seen the translation of the major portion of this
same chapter of Mukaddasi's book published in German
by J. Glldemelster in the * Zcltschrift des Deutschen
Palsestina-Vereins,' Band vii., 1884. The German pro-
fessor, however, has not given the chapter entire, he has
made not a few slips (as, for instance, when he states that
our author was born in A.H. ^66, and wrote his book in 375),
and when he finds some difficulty in following Mukaddasi's
descriptions (e.^:, in the case of the Damascus Mosque),
he often, to our mind, somewhat hastily concludes that the
text is corrupt.
Also, Dr. Gildemeister makes little attempt at identify-
ing places mentioned, with such names as are found on
the modern maps ; he does not state clearly whether a
place is, or is not, to be found, and too often assumes in
his readers a knowledge of Arabic which is hardly justifiable
in a translation. It is, however, only just that I should
acknowledge that from the references in many oi his notes
PREFACE. xi
I have been set on the right track for acquiring the desired
information.
A list of most of the works quoted in my notes is
given on a following page. The system adopted in the
transliteration of the Arabic names is that now in common
use, well-known names, however, are often retained in the
spelling sanctioned by usage. In my translation I have
kept as closely as was possible to the text. Any consider-
able additions, required to render the meaning clear, are
enclosed in brackets ; but I have not thought it necessary
to mark all cases where I have replaced the ever-recurring
relative pronoun of the Arabic by its antecedent noun or
sentence, in order to make the English clear and more
idiomatic. The ' Memoirs of the Survey of Western Pales-
tine ' have been constantly at my elbow, and to their pages
I would refer the reader for the description of the sites as
they exist at the present day.
In conclusion it is a pleasure to me to have an oppor-
tunity of expressing my thanks to Sir C. Wilson for
valuable suggestions and emendations, that have enabled
me to correct not a few of the notes which are added for
the elucidation of the text. In most cases I have, by his
permission, merely incorporated among my own notes the
information which he was good enough to place at my
disposal ; in some instances, however, I have thought it
better to transcribe his note in full, and, since it was
difficult to make any larther additions at the foot of the
page, I have thrown these paragraphs together so as to
form a short Appendix, which will be found at the close of
the text.
G. LE S.
46, Charles Street, Mayfair.
WORKS REFERRED TO IN THE NOTES.
The Palestine Exploration Fund * Memoirs ' of the Survey
of Western Palestine, in 3 Vols. Also the Volumes ot
* Special Papers/ on * Jerusalem,' on the ' Fauna and
Flora of Palestine,' and the * Name Lists.'
Biblical Researches in Palestine. Robinson. 3 Vols. 184 [.
Also Later Researches. 1852.
Jerusalem, the City of Herod and Saladin. By Besant
and Palmer. 1871.
Histoire des Sultans Mamlouks de I'Egypte. Par Quatre-
mere. 2 Vols. 1845.
Abu '1 Fida's Geography. Translated by Reinaud and
Guyard.
Geschichte der Chalifen. Well. 3 Vols. 1851.
Palestine and Syria. Written by Socin. Badeker. 1876.
Ritter, * Erdkunde,' Vol. VIII., in several parts, relating to-
Syria and Palestine. 1850.
Of Arabic Works — Yakut's great Geographical Encyclo-
paedia, the Text edited by Wiistenfeldt; Ibn al Athir's
Chronicle, Text published by Tornberg, 1867; Hajji
xiv WORKS REFERRED TO IN THE NOTES.
Khalfa's Bibliographical Lexicon, edited by Flugel,
1835 ; The Travels of Ibn Jobair, edited by W. Wright,
1852; Mujir ad Din's Description of Jerusalem and
Hebron, the Text published at Boulak in A.H. 12S3,
are all that need special mention. Of Jerome's Ono-
masticon, the excellent edition in Greek and Latin, by
Parthey, has been quoted.
FOR THE MAP I HAVE MADE USE OF THE
FOLLOWING :
The Great Map of Western Palestine. Published by the
P. E. F.
Van der Velde's Map of the Lebanon.
Carte du Nord de la Syrie. Dressee sous la direction
de E. G. Rey. 1885.
Also the Maps in Badeket's Palestine and Syria. 1876.
The editions of other works quoted are sufficiently indicated
in the reference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION.
rACB
THE MEANING OF THE WORD SHAM (sYRIA) — TARSUS AND
THE COMPANIONS OF THE CAVE — THE DIVISION OF SYRIA
INTO SIX PROVINCES « • • • • .1-12
NOTICES OF THE TOWNS.
ALEPPO AND THE TOWNS OF THE PROVINCE — EMESA AND ITS
TOWNS — DAMASCUS, ITS MOSQUE, AND ITS TOWNS — THE
GHUTAH TIBERIAS AND ITS TOWNS — THE Ht>LAH — THE
'aMILAH MOUNtAINS ACRE AND ITS HARBOUR — AR
RAMLAH AND ITS TOWNS JERUSALEM — THE AKSA
MOSQUE— THE DOME OF THE ROCK — HEBRON — C^SAREA
PALiESTlNA— THE MEN OF THE CAVE AT AR RAKIM — THE
WATCH-STATIONS ALONG THE COAST, AND THE RANSOM-
ING OF CAPTIVES — THE DESERT OF THE WANDERINGS —
SINAI . • . . . 12-65
GENERAL FEATURES AND PECULIARITIES.
CLIMATE — RELIGION — COMMERCE — WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
— MANNERS AND CUSTOMS — MINERALS — THE RIVERS —
THE DEAD SEA — MARVELS OF THE PROVINCE THE HOT
BATHS OF TIBERIAS — DISCUSSION CO.NCERNING THE
XVI
CONTENTS
TAYAMMUxM — THE MOUNT OF OLIVES — THE SIDDJkA,
LEBANON, JAULAN AND LUKKAM MOUNTAINS — THE
GOVERNMENT — THE REVENUE . • . t>5-92
DISTANCES.
ALONG THE CHIEF ROADS OF SYRIA . . • . o t
MAPS AND PLANS.
MAP OF SYRIA AND PALESTINE IN THE
MUKADDASI . .
PLAN OF THE GREAT MOSQUE AT DAMASCUS
PLAN OF JERUSALEM .
PLAN OF THE AKSA MOSQUE .
PLAN OF THE DOME OF THE ROCK
PLAN OF THE HARAM AREA , ♦
TIME OF
. Frontispiece
. 2[
To face pa>:^e ^^'^
. 43
. 44
To face page 46
DESCRIPTION
OF THE
PROVINCE OF SYRIA, INCLUDING
PALESTINE.
-♦^♦-♦-
The Province of Syria is of glorious renown, the Land of
Prophets ! Syria is the cynosure of the righteous, and the
gathering-place of anchorites. Here dwelt the Saints, and
here is the First Kiblah ; also the Place of the Resurrection,
and of the Night Journey.^ It is the Sacred Land. Its
ivatch-posts are strong, its frontiers magnificent, and its
mountains noble. Thither went Abraham as a pilgrim, and
there is his tomb. This is the Land of Job, and there is his
well ; in Jerusalem is the oratory of David and his gate .;
here are the wonders of Solomon and his cities ; the tomb
of Isaac, and that of his mother ; the birth-place of the
Messiah and his cradle. So likewise the village of Saul
and his river ; the place of the slaying of Goliath and his
rampart ; Jeremiah's cistern and his prison ; the place of
prayer of Uriah and his house ;2 the dome of Muhammad
^ The first referring to Jerusalem, which, prior to Makkah, was the
Kiblah of Islam ; the next is the Valley of Jehoshaphat, which, accord-
ing to Muslim tradition, is to be the scene of the Final Judgment j
and the last is the Haram Area, or Noble Sanctuary of Jerusalem,
which was visited by Muhammad during his celebrated Night Journey,
^ See below, p. 56.
I
2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
and his gate ;^ the rock of Moses, and the hill of Jesus ;2 the
oratory of Zacharias, and the waters of the baptism of
John ; the place of martyrdom of the prophets, and the
villages of Job. And, too, here are Jacob's stations, and
the Further Mosque f the Mount of Olives, and the city
of Acre ; the place of martyrdom of Siddika,* and the
grave of Moses ; the resting-place of Abraham and his
tomb ; the city of Ascalon, and the spring of Siloam ; the
home of Lukman (the Sage),^ and the valley of Kin'an f
the cities of Lot, and the place of the Gardens ;" Omar's
Mosque, and Othman's Almshouse f also the gate named
by the Two Men,^ and the chamber where were brought
the Two Adversaries.^^ Here shall rise the Wall which is to
stand between those Punished and those Pardoned (on the
Judgment day) ;"^^ here is the Near Station,^^ g^^^ ^j^g mosque
of Baisan ; the Bab Hittah (Gate of Pardon), which is great
and glorious, and the Bab as Sur (the Gate of the Trum-
pet) ;^3 the Place of Surety ;^^ the tombs of Mary and of
1 In the Sanctuary at Jerusalem, known as ' Barclay's Gate/
2 Where He was said to have dwelt with His mother. Koran xxiii. 52.
8 The Aksa at Jerusalem. * See below, p. 89.
^ To the east of the Sea of Tiberias. See Yakut iii. 512.
^ Wady Kin'an, or the Valley of Canaan, from what is said below
(p. 26 n. 4), would appear to denote the Ghaur, or Jordan Valley, a
name given to it, possibly, in allusion to the settlement therein of the
Canaanite Tribes. Comp. Gen. x. ii-io, Numb. xiii. 29. I do not find
the name mentioned by any other Arab geographer, which would lead
rather to the conclusion that it is here used in a somewhat general
sense. The reading of the MS., however, is not certain. Some MSS.
read Wadi an Nu'man, which is the Belus River, of Acre.
^ Probably referring to the Gardens of Paradise, mentioned in the
Koran Iv. 46, 62.
. ^ At Sulwan (Siloam). See below, p. 49.
. ^ Caleb and Joshua, it was the Gate of Jericho. See Koran v. 26.
^" In the story of Uriah. See Koran xxxviii. 20.
^1 Koran Ivii. 13. ■^" The Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem.
^^ The former in the north wall of the Sanctuary Area, at Jerusalem,
and the latter one of those under the Dome of the Rock. See below,
j^p. 44, 46. ^* Near Hebron. See below, p. 52.
INCLUDING PALESTINE.
Rachel ; the meeting-place of the two seas/ and the
dividing-place of the two habitations (of This World and
the Next) ; the Bab as Sakinah (the Gate of the Shcchina
or of the Divine Presence), and the Kubbat as Silsilah
(the Dome of the Chain) f the place of station of the
Ka'abah,^ further, other places of martyrdom, though too
numerous to enumerate, and excellencies that cannot be
passed aside ; fruits and abundance of crops, trees and
water. There is matter of comfort both for This World
and the Next, for here the heart softens, and men's limbs
incline to the attitude of prayer. And again, is there not
Damascus, that paradise of the earth, and Sughar (Segor),*
which IS (for commercial prosperity like) a miniature
Busrah ? also Ramlah the beautiful, where the bread is
white ; Jerusalem the perfect, as none will deny ; Emesa,
renowned for cheap living and good air. The mountains of
Busr^jS covered with vineyards, neither, should be forgotten ;
nor Tiberias, so renowned for its crops and its villages.
The Mediterranean Sea extends along the frontier of this
land, whereby merchandise may reach it ; and from the
Sea of China also is a waterway^ up to this province on
the further side. In this country are plains and mountains,
low valleys, and various soils ; and through the desert
which lies on its frontiers are the roads from thence to
Taima.'^ Quarries of marble occur, and simples fit for
•compounding all medicines. Throughout Syria there
■dwell men of wealth and of commerce, and those
^ The Sea of Greece and the Sea of Persia, said to have met origi-
nally in these parts, and referred to, according to the Commentators,
in the Koran xviii. 59.
2 In the Sanctuary Area.
> In the Aksa Mosque. See below, p. 47. * See below, p. 62.
* The Bozrah of Gen. xxxvi. 23) and the Bostra of Roman days.
« The GulfofAkaba.
^ A town on the Pilgrim Road between Damascus to Al Madinah.
I — 2
4 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
neither rich nor poor, also jurisprudists, booksellers, arti-
zans, and physicians. But the people live ever in terror of
the Byzantines, almost as though they were in a land of
exile, for their frontiers are continuously ravaged, and their
fortresses are again and again destroyed. Nor are the
Syrians the equals of the Persians in either science, religion,
or intelligence ; some have become apostates, while others
pay tribute to the infidels, thus setting obedience to created
man before obedience to the Lord of Heaven. • The
populace, too, is ignorant and seditious, and the Syrian
people show neither zeal for the Holy War, nor honour to
those who fight against the infidel.
It has been said that Syria is called Sham, because it
lies on the Left of the Ka'abah, and also because those who
journey thither (from the Hijjaz) bear to Xh^ Left or North ;
or else it may be because there are in Syria Beauty-spots,
such as we call Shdmdt — red, white, and black.^
The learned of 'Irak call all the country that, from their
side, lies beyond (or west of) the Euphrates, Syria, and in
this sense it is that Muhammad ibn al Hasan^ uses the
term in his works. But in point of fact, of all the land over
(or west of) the Euphrates, no part belongs to Syria except
the district Kinnasrin alone. All the rest is the Arabian
Desert ; and Syria (Proper) is what lies beyond (or to the
west of) this. But Muhammad ibn al Hasan is here
speaking generally, and after the common parlance of the
people, just as it is customary to call Khurasan, the East,.
^ That is the gardens and fields which are held to resemble the moles
on a beauty's face. Sham means Left or North.
^ Known as Ash Shaibani, one of Abu Hanifah's pupils and a great-
authority among the Hanifites. He died in a.h. 187, ad. 803. (See
Barbier de Meynard in ih^ fcttrnat Asiatiqiie, 1852, xx. 406.) The
question whether the Syrian Desert should belong to Syria or Arabia
is of great importance, in that, of the two provinces, Arabia enjoyed.
a far lighter taxation.
INCLUDING PALESTINE.
although in truth the East is what stretches beyond this
again. So Sham (Syria), as a whole, is opposed to Yaman :
the Hijjaz lying in between the two.^ Now if any say,
* VVc hold, agreeing therein with the learned of 'Irak, that
this portion of the desert even as far as the confines of
'Irak is in truth a part of Syria :' we answer that we have
divided the provinces (according to their natural features),
and as it is from this standpoint that we have drawn the
boundaries, it is impossible to set to one province what
belongs to another. And if any further say, ' But why
this } seeing there is no warrant for (the boundaries) having
stood so in ancient times:' we would reply, that the Doctors
of the Law and the Men of Science have never been
divided in opinion regarding the attribution of the tract
here under dispute, deeming it always a part of the pro-
vince of Arabia. So to any who desire to include
this tract in Syria, with him we argue not ; we point to
the limits of Syria as we have laid them down, and let this
land be added thereto. This addition, then, is a tract
about which there is dispute, and he who makes this addi-
tion (to the province of Syria) on him lies the proof that it
is justifiable.
We shall omit here all description of TARSUS and its
district, for it is at the present time^ in the hands of the
Greeks. But as regards the Cave (of the Seven Sleepers),^
the city to which it belongs is in truth Tarsus ; and further
here is the tomb of Dakyanus,* and in the neighbourhood
1 S/idm, Left ; Vaman, Right ; Al Hijjds, the Partition.
" Tarsus was taken by the Byzantine Emperors Nicephorus and
Zimisces in a.h. 354, a.d. 965. See Gibbon's 'Decline and Fall,'
ch. lii., and Ibn al Athir, vol. viii., Events of Year 354 ; also Weil, iii. 18.
3 See Koran xviii. 8-25.
* Ibn ash Shihnah gives the name more correctly as Dakiyus, for
it WHS under the Emperor Decius that, according to tradition, the Seven
Sleepers entered the Cave. See Gibbon's ' Decline and Fall,'ch. xxxiii.
6 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
is a hill, on which is a mosque, said to be built above the
Cave. The jurisprudist Abu 'Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn
'Omar al Bukhari related to us, quoting the words of
Abu Talib al Yamant, who held it from Al Hasan ibn
Yahya, whose father had related to him that Muhammad
ibn Sahl al Khurasani, told him that he had attended the
lectures of Hisham ibn Muhammad, to whom Mujahid
ibn Yazid had reported, saying, * I went forth with Khalid al
Baridi in the days when he set out for x^t Taghiyyah,i during
the year of the Flight 102 (a.d. 720) ; and beside us two
there went no other Muslims. After we had visited Con-
stantinople we set out to return by 'Ammuriyyah (Amorium/),
and thence, in the course of four nights, we reached Al
Lddhikiyyah,^ lately destroyed by fire. From thence we
came on to Al Hawiyyah, which lies in the midst of the
mountains. And it was here told us that in this place were
some dead men, why they were none knew, but there were
guards over them. And the people caused us to enter a
tunnel, some fifty ells deep and two broad, having with us
lamps, and, behold, in the middle of this tunnel was an
iron door, it being a hiding-place for their families at times
when the Arabs make their incursions against them. At
this spot were ruined buildings of great extent, in the
midst of which was a hole in the ground, some fifteen ells
across, filled with water, and from here looking up one could
perceive the sky. The cavern from this place entered the
bowels of the mountain, and we were conducted td a spot
right under Al Hawiyyah, where was a chamber some twenty
ells deep. On the floor here were thirteen men, lying pros-
trate one behind the other, each wearing a cloak ; and I was
1 A district lying between Makkah and Al Madinah, according to
Zamakhshari's Kitab al Jibal. (Leiden, 1856, p. 167.;
^ This is the Laodicea Combusta (the modern Ladik) situated
between Anionuni and Iconium.
INCLUDING PALESTINE,
unable to see whether this was of wool or of hair, but the
cloaks were grey in colour, dust-coloured vestments, which
crackled under the touch like parchment. In every case
the garments, which were fringed, veiled the face of the
wearer and covered his limbs ; and some wore boots up to the
middle of the leg, and some sandals, while others had shoes.
But everything seemed perfectly new. On uncovering the
face of one of them, I perceived that the hair of his head and
of his beard had remained unchanged, and that the skin of
his face was shining, the blood appearing in his cheeks.
It was as though these men had laid themselves down but
a moment before, for their limbs were supple as are the
limbs of living men ; and all were still in their youth,
except certain of them whose locks had already begun to turn
grey. Now behold, one of them had had his head cut off
and inquiring of the people on the matter, they answered,
saying, " When the Arabs came down on us, and took
possession of Al Hawiyyah, we gave them this in-
formation concerning these dead men, but they would not
believe us, and one of the Arabs struck the head off this
body."
* The men of Al Hawiyyah further related to us that at
the commencement of each year, on the feast-day (set apart
in honour of those who lie here), the people assemble in
this cavern, and raising each of these corpses one by one,
they cause them to stand upright. Then they wash them,
and shake the dust off their clothes, and arrange their
garments. Moreover, these dead men do not fall or sink
down, but are laid out by the people after the manner we
saw, on the ground ; and they pare their nails three times
in the year, for these do continue to grow. Then we in-
quired the explanation of these things and concerning their
origin, but the people replied that they knew nothing about
the matter, only adding, "We call them prophets."' The
S DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
before-mentioned Mujahid and Khalid further state that
they themselves concluded that these men must bs the
'Companions of the Cave,' but Allah alone knows.
THE SIX DISTRICTS OF SYRIA.
The Province of Syria we divide into six districts :
1. KiNNASRiN — which is over against Akur (or Upper
Mesopotamia).
2. HiMS (Emesa).
3. DiMASHK (Damascus).
4. Al-Urdunn (the Jordan'^
5. FiLASTiN (Palestine).
6. Ash-SharaH (Edom).
I. The District of KiNNASRiN. Its capital is Halab
(Aleppo), and among its cities are Antakiyyah (Antioch),
Balis, As-Suwaidiyyah, Sumaisat, (Samosata), Manbij,
Bayyas, At-Tinah, Kinnasrin, Mar'ash, Iskandarunah,
*Lajjun, -'^- Rafaniyyah, *Jusiyah, * Hamah, * Shaizar,
* Wadi Butnan, Ma'arrah-an-Nu'man, Ma'arrah-Kinnasrin.i
1 The names marked with an asterisk (*) are on p. 54 of the text,
given as belonging to the Province of Hims (Emesa).
Ibn ash-Shihnah writes : ' Though Hamah of old formed part of
(the Province of) Hims (Emesa), it was subsequently added to (the
Province of) Halab (Aleppo).' Even with this, however, there is some
confusion in the order in which the names of the towns occur. Thus
Rafanniyyah and Jusiyah, given to the Kinnasrin Province, are well
within the boundaries of Hims, while Al Khunasirah and Kafar-Tab,
given to Hims, lie far to the north of that district. Of the towns here
mentioned. As Suwaidiyyah, the seaport of Antioch, is probably iden-
tical with the vb/. Simeon's Harbour of the Crusades. About an hour
distant north of this are the ruins of the ancient Selucia Pieria.
Manbij, anciently Hierapolis, was the capital of Euphratesia. See
INCLUDING PALESTINE,
2.. The District of HiMS (Emesa). Its capital bears the
same name. Among its cities are: Salamiyyah, Tadmur
note to p. 66 of Procopius (^ Palestine Pilgrim's Text, No. 3 ') for a
description of the curious remains to be seen here.
Bayyas, on the coast, is the ancient Baias.
At Tindh, or At Tindt : Ibn Haukal mentions as Hisn at Tinih,
* the Fort of Figs.' The place is not given on our present maps under
this name, but as it is said by Yakut and others to have been a port of
some consequence on the Mediterranean, not far from the city of Mas-
sisah (Mopsuestia). The position assigned to it in the accompanying
map cannot be very far out.
Mar'ash is the ancient Germanicia. The Syrians, clipping the first
syllable of its ancient name, sometimes called it Baniki (Assemani,
Bz'd/. Orient. Clem. Vat., ii. p. 91, etc.).
The town of Lajjun (without the article) I can find on no map.
There can be no doubt that at the time of Mukaddasi there were
two places called Lajjun in Syria, for he distinctly states in his preface,
when enumerating the geographical homonyms, that * Al Lajjun is the
name of two of the cities of Syria.' On the other hand, Yikut, in his
Mushtarik, or * Dictionary of Homonyms,' makes no mention of it
whatever. This northern Lajjun is not mentioned, to my knowledge,
by any other Arab geographer. Al Lajjun in Palestine, mentioned
below among the towns of the Jordan District, is, of course, the
Roman Legio ; but the dictionaries of classical geography give no
indication of there having existed any other ' Legio ' in these
countries.
Rafaniyyah, is the city of Raphania of the Crusading Chronicles.
Jusiyah, Robinson (1852, p. 556) identifies with the Paradisus of
Ptolemy.
Hamah is the Biblical Hamath and the Greek Epiphania.
Shaizar, now called Kal'at Seijar, occupies the site of the ancient
city of Larissa, founded by Seleucus Nicator.
Wadi Butnan is given in Yakut as the name of a very fertile valley
on the road from Halab to Manbij, lying at a short day's march from
cither place. The name is marked in Rey's map.
Ma'arrah-an-Nu'man and M. Kinnasrin are often spoken of as
Ma'arratain — the two Ma'arrahs. The name of the latter is often
shortened into Ma'arrah-Nasrin, and further corrupted in some works
by being written Ma'arrah Masrin.
Some notice of the other towns enumerated will be found on the
subsequent pages.
lo DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
(Palmyra), Al-Khunasirah, Kafar-Tab, Al-Ladhikiyyah,
Jabalah, Antarsus, Bulunyas, Hisn al Khawabi.^
3. The District of DiMASHK (Damascus). Its capital
IS of the same name. Among its cities are : Baniyas,
Darayya, Said^ (Sidon), Bairut, Atrabulus (Tripoli),
*Arkah, and the territory of the Bika*, of which the chief
city is Ba'albakk, and to which appertain the towns of:
Kdmid, 'Arjamush, and Az-Zabadani.^
■^ Salamiyyah is the ancient Salaminias, or Salamias. Cf. Ritter,
* Syrien,' p. 1049.
AI Khunisirah, is spelt Hanasera in Rey's map. In the Arabic Dic-
tionary, called the * Kamus,' we are told that the town took its name
from a certain Khunisirah b. 'Urwah b. Al Harith. Cf. also Ritter,
* Syrien,' p. 1699. It lies two marches away from Aleppo, to the south,
and on the border of the Desert.
The town of Kafar-Tab, according to Abu-1-Fida, lies between
Ma'arrah and Shaizar, twelve miles from either place. It is marked
on Rey's map.
Al Lidhikiyyah is the ancient Laodicea ad Mare, rebuilt by Seleucus
Nicator.
Jabalah is the Gabalah of the ancients, and the Gibellum, or Gibellus
Major, of the Crusaders, sometimes further corrupted into Zibel.
Antarsus, very often thus written incorrectly for Antartus, is now
called Tartus ; it is the ancient Antaradus, and the Tortosa of the
Middle Ages.
Bulunyas represents the Balanea of Strabo. The place is at the
present day called Banias. In classical times it was known as Apol-
lonia Syrias, and the Frankish Chronicles speak of it under the name
of Valania.
Hisn al Khawabi (the Fort of the Ewers) is not marked on the
maps. The geographer Idrisi writes (Ed. of ' Rosenmiiller,' p. 15):
' From Antartus, going south, by land, you come to Hisn al Khawabi,
built on the crest of the mountain, and for long held by the sect of the
Assassins. [This was in the twelfth century A.D.] The place lies
fifteen miles distant from Antartus.' From this indication of its posi-
tion I have laid it down on the map. The fort is mentioned by Abu-1-
Fida, Dimashki and other, but with no exact statement of its position.
2 Darayya is the large village a couple of hours south-west of
Damascus.
Kamid, now called Kamid al Lauz (of the Almond). Cf Robinson,
1852, p. 425.
INCLUDING PALESTINE, ii
The District of Damascus includes six territories, namely:
the GhCitah, Hauran, the Bathaniyyah, the Jaulan, the
Bika , and the Hiilah.i
4. The District of Al-Urdunn (the Jordan). Its
capital is Tabariyyah (Tiberias). Among its towns are :
Kadas, Sitr (Tyre), 'Akka (Acre), Al-Far4dhiyyah, Al-
Lajjun, Kabul, Baisan, Adhri'ah.
5. The District of FiLASTiN (Palestine). Its capital is
Ar-Ramlah. Among its cities are : Bait-al-Makdis (Jeru-
salem), Bait Jibril, Ghazzah (Gaza), Maimas, 'Askalan
(Ascalon), Yafah (Joppa), Arsuf, Kaisariyyah (Ca^sarea),
Nabulus (Shechem), Ariha (Jericho), 'Amman.
6. The District of Ash-SharaH, and for its capital we
should put Sughar. Its chief towns are: Maab (Moab),
'Ainuna,2 Mu an, Tabuk, Adhruh, Wailah, Madyan.
*Arjamush is mentioned by Abu-1-Fida as a considerable town, lying-
on the road from Bairut to Ba'albakk, and situated twenty-four miles
from the former city. The name does not occur on the maps, but
possibly the village of Hashmush, marked in Van der Velde's raap>
may represent the older town. Hashmush occupies exactly the posi-
tion where we should expect to find 'Arjamush.
For Az-Zabadani, between Ba'albakk and Damascus, see Badeker,
p. 491.
^ Al Ghutah (the Garden land) is the rich, well-watered plain that
extends for a day's march all round the city of Damascus.
Haurin, is the ancient Auranitis ; Al Bathaniyyah is Bathana:a ;
Al Jaulan, Gaulonitis. The Bika' is the plain or broad valley between
the Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains ; it was anciently known
as Ccelesyria. Al Hulah is the land round the Hulah Lake, the Bib-
lical Waters of Merom.
^ 'Ainund, which Yakut says should be spelt in two words — 'Ain Una,
* Spring of Una'— is the harbour of Midian mentioned by Ptolemy
under the name of Ovvt}. 'Ain Und, says Yakut, ' is a village on the
coast of the Red Sea, lying between Madyan (the city of Midian) and
As Salll, and the Pilgrim Road from Egypt to Makkah passes through
it.' As Sala I have been unable to identify ; on Madyan, see below,
p. 64, n. 2. 'Ainuna was visited by Sir R. Burton. See his * Gold Mines
of Midian,' 1878, p. 145.
12 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Now in this Province of Syria are villages larger and
more sumptuous than are many of the chief towns in the
Arabian Peninsula. Thus we have Darayya, Bait Lihya,^
Kafar Sallam, Kafar Saba ; and, although seeing their size,
one would not speak of them as villages, they are yet men-
tioned by us as such, for, as we have said before, it is our
wont always to employ the designations in common use by
the people of each country.
NOTICES OF TPIE CHIEF TOWNS.
Halab (Aleppo) is an excellent, pleasant, and well
fortified city, the inhabitants of which are cultured and
rich, and endowed with understanding. The city is
populous, and built of stone, standing in ihe midst of its
lands. It possesses a well fortified and spacious castle,
provided with water ; and here is the Sultan's Treasury,
but the Great Mosque stands in the town. The inhabitants
drink the water of the Kuwaik river,^ which flows into
the town through an iron grating, near by the Palace of
^ Bait Libya I am unable to find on the maps. According to Yakut
(i. 780) and Ibn Batutah (i. 237 of the edition published by the French
Soc. As.), the name would be more correctly written Bait Al Ilahah or
Ilahiyj-ah, meaning 'House of Idols,' or *The Divine House ;' the
father of the patriarch Abraham having, according to the Muslim
tradition, dedicated here a temple to his heathen gods. Ibn Batutah
states that the village lies to the east of Damascus, and all authorities
mention it as a well-known place in the Ghutah, so well known, in
fact, that they unfortunately omit to indicate its exact position. I can
find no mention of the place in the works of Burton, Porter, or other
travellers. Robinson mentions a village called 'Beit Lehya' ('Re-
searches,' 1852, notes to pp. 426, 428), lying west of Rashayah,
which in Biideker (p. 452) is called Bet Laya. But this, if Ibn
Batutah's indication of the position eas^ of Damascus for the
celebrated Bait Libya is to be credited, can hardly be the same
place, lor Rashayah lies west of the Ghutah, under the spurs of
Mount Hermon.
- Kuwaik, the ancient Chalus River.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 13
Saif-ad-Daulah.^ The castle is not very large, but herein
the Sultan abides. The city has seven gates, namely :
Bab Hims (of Emesa), Bab-ar-Rakkah, Bab Kinnasrin, Bab-
al-Yahud (of the Jews), Bab-al-'Irak, Bab Dar-al-Battikh
(of the Watermelon-house), and Bab Antakiyyah (Antioch).
The Bab-al-Arba'in (of the Forty) is now closed.^
Balis ^ is situated on the frontier towards Ar-Rakkah,
and is a populous place.
KiNNASRiN* is a town of which the population has
Saif-ad-Daulah, ' The Sword of the State,' was the first prince of
the Aleppo line of the Hamdanis. He reigned from A.H. 333-356,
A.D. 944-967.
^ (i) The Emesa Gate is to the South. It is marked as the ' Damascus
Gate' in the plan given by Russell in his ' Natural History of Aleppo,'
2nd ed., 1794. It is at the present day called Bib al Makam (Ibrahim),
the Gate of Abraham's Station. (2) Judging from the direction which
Rakkah bears from Aleppo, this Gate must be the ' Bab el Hadeed ' of
Russell, at the north east angle of the Wall. (3) The Kinnasrin Gate
is at the southern end of the West Wall. It was built by Saif ad
Daulah ibn Hamddn. (4) The Jew's Gate is the present Bab an
Nasr, in the middle of the north wall, along which lies the Jews'
Quarter. It was restored by Saladin's son, Al Malik at Thahir, who
changed its name to Bab an Nasr — Gate of Victory (Yakut ii. 310).
(5) The 'Irdk Gate most probably, by its position, is that to the
south-east, and marked by Russell as the Gate of Neereb. In the
plan of Aleppo given in Badeker, a road leaving the town at the south-
east angle runs to the village of ' Nerab,' (6) The Watermelon-house
Gate is probably the same as the Bab al Janan (Gate of the Gardens),
given by Russell, and also mentioned in Yakut, ii. 310. It is in the
West Wall, a little to the north of the Antioch Gate. (7) The Antioch
Gate is so called at the present day. It opens about the middle of
the West Wall, to the north of the Bab Kinnasrin, between it and the
Gate of the Gardens. The Gate of the Forty is marked in Russell's
plan as * Bab el Urbain.' It is at the north-west angle of the suburb
which lies to the north of Aleppo, beyond the Bab an Nasr. Who
* the Forty ' were I have been unable to discover, but they were
probably martyrs. ' Skak al Urbain ' is given by Russell as the name
of the piece of ground within the gate.
^ The ancient Barbalissus.
* Occupying the site of the ancient Chalcis.
14 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
decreased. The worthy Sheikh Abu Sa'id Ahmad ibn
Muhammad^ related to me at NaisaMr, and he held it of
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ishak ibn Khuzaimah, who re-
ported it on the authority of 'Ammar ibn Huraith of Marv,
who had it of Al-Fadl Abu Musa, and he from 'Isa ibn
'Ubaid, who held it of Ghailan ibn 'Abd Allah Al-Amiri, to
whom Abu Zar'ah told it as coming from 'Amr ibn Jarir,
who heard the Prophet say : * Allah, may His name be
exalted and glorified, spake to me in revelation, " At which
so ever of three places thou descendest, verily it shall
become thy abode after thy Flight, whether it be Al
Madinah, or Al Bahrain, or Kinnasrin."'^
Now if any one should ask of me why I have given as
the capital of this district Halab (Aleppo, thus ignoring
the claims of) the city (of Kinnasrin), bearing the same
name as that of its district ; I reply, even as I have stated
before in the Preface to my work,^ that Capitals and
Towns must be regarded in the light of Generals and
Soldiers. And thus it would not be fitting to make Halab,
which is so lordly, and where is the residence of the Sultan,
and the place of the Divvans, or Antakiyyah, with all its
wealth, and Balis, with its great population — even as
soldiers (subordinate) to a town which is ruined and small
(like Kinnasrin). But further, should any ask why we have
not acted according to this rule as regards Shiraz, which,
as will be seen, we have not made the capital, but counted
as belonging and subordinate to Istakhr (Persepolis) and
its villages : we reply that we deem in this matter that we
acted for the best, seeing that we found Istakhr (in the
position of a capital), with the towns around (counted as
^ He is commonly known as Abu Sa'id al Jdrt.
2 The same tradition is given by Ydkut iv. 185.
^ Having reference to what Mukaddasi has written on p. 47 of the
Arabic Text, where the same argument is stated in much the same terms.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 15
subordinate thereto), this even though Istakhr itself lies at
some distance from them. Furthermore, in a work like the
present, expediency will ever abrogate all rule ; even as it is
said among the Questions of the Schools, * Hast thou not
seen how the postponing of (the audit days of) Niruz and
Mihrajan (in the months of Spring) although inconvenient
to the rest of the empire, is yet useful in the (keeping of
the) registers, and so is done as a matter of expediency ?'
HiMSi (Emesa). There is no larger city than this in all
Syria. There is a citadel high above the town, which you
perceive from afar off. Most of the drinking-water is
obtained from rainfall, but there is also a river. When the
Muslims conquered this place they seized the church, and
turned the half of it into a mosque. It stands in the
market-place, and has a dome, on the summit of which is
seen the figure of a man in brass, standing upon a fish,
and the same turns to the four winds.- About this figure
they relate many stories, which are untrustworthy. This
town has suffered great misfortunes, and is indeed threatened
with ruin. Its men are witless.
The other towns of these parts are also falling to decay,
though prices are moderate, and such of them as are on the
coast are well provided with ramparts.
Tadmur (Palmyra) belongs to this province. It is after
the likeness of a throne among the Cities of Solomon the
son of David. Its citadel, which stands near the desert, is
spacious and strong.
DiMASHK (Damascus) is the chief town of Syria, and was
the capital of the sovereigns of the House of Omayyah.
^ Now pronounced Horns.
^ Yakut ii. 336, says that the statue is in white stone, and represents
a man standing on a scorpion. See further, below, p. 84.
^ The fourteen Omeyyad Khalifs whose dynasty lasted from A.H. 41
to 132 (a.d. 661-749) and who were succeeded by the 'Abbasides.
i6 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Here were their palaces and their monuments, their edifices
in wood and in brick. The rampart round the city, which
I saw when I was there, is built of mud-bricks. Most
of the markets are roofed in, but there is among them ^
very fine one, which is open, running the length of the town.
Damascus is a city intersected by streams and begirt with
trees. Here prices are moderate, fruits abound, and snow
and condiments are found. Nowhere else will be seen such
magnificent hot-baths, nor such beautiful fountains, nor
people more worthy of consideration. Such as I know
myself among its gates are : Bab al Jabiyah,i Bab as Saghir
(the Small Gate),^ Bab al Kabir (the Great Gate),^ Bab ash
Sharki (the Eastern Gate),* Bab Tuma (the Gate of St.
Thomas),5 Bab an Nahr (the Gate of the River),^ and Bab
al Mahamaliyyin,^ (the Gate of those who make Camel-
litters).
. The city is in itself a very pleasant place, but of its
disadvantages are, that the climate is scorching and the
^ At the western end of the * Straight Street ;' so called from the
suburb of Jabiyah, which stood near here.
2 At the south-western angle of the Wall. Now corrupted into Bab
ash Shaghur, from the name of a suburb.
^ This is probably the Bab as Salamah of Ibn Jubair, and the
modern Bab as Salam. According to Kremer (Topography of
Damascus, in Vol. v. of the ' Denkschrift Acad, der Wissenschaft.
Wien.' 1854) it was formerly called Bab el Jennik, or Jellik, from a
district of that name near Damascus.
* At the eastern end of the ' Straight Street.'
fi At the north-eastern angle.
* This I conclude to be the Bab al Faradis, as given by Ibn jubair,
which name too it bears at the present day ; or else it may be the
Bab al Faraj (Ibn Jubair, p. 284), which is immediately to the west of
the former, both being on the river.
^ I imagine that this must be the present Bab al Hadid (Iron Gate),
opening to the west, and lying immediately to the north of the Bab al
Jabiyah. In Ibn Jubair's days this gate was called Bab an Nasr (the
Gate of Victory).
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 17
inhabitants are turbulent ; fruit here is insipid and meat
hard ; also the houses are small, and the streets sombre.
Finally, the bread there is bad, and a livelihood is difficult
to make. Around the city, for the distance of half a
league^ in every direction, there stretches the level plain.
The mosque is the fairest of any that the Muslims now
"hold, and nowhere is there collected together greater mag-
nificence. Its outer walls are built of squared stones,
accurately set, and of large size ; and crowning them are
splendid battlements. The columns supporting the roof of
the mosque consist of black polished pillars, in a triple row,
and set widely apart. In the centre of the building, over
the space fronting the Mihrab,^ is a great dome. Round
the court there are lofty arcades, above which are arched
windows, and the whole area is paved with white marble.
The walls of the mosque, for twice the height of a man,
are faced with variegated marbles ; and, above this, even
to the ceiling, are mosaics^ of various colours and in
^old, showing figures of trees and towns and beautiful
inscriptions, all most exquisitely and finely worked. And
rare are the trees, and few the well-known towns, that will
^ Farsakh, the Greek Parasang, corrupted from the Persian, is be-
tween three and four miles. It is an hour of the road, and our word
league, therefore, corresponds with it well enough.
^ Mihrab, the Niche, showing the direction of Makkah.
3 Written on the margin of one of the MSS. is the following curious
■description of this mosaic-work — an art which the Arabs learnt from
the Byzantines :—* Mosaic [in Arabic called Fashfashah, from the
Greek T>jfor] is composed of morsels of glass, such as are used for
the standard coin-weights ; but they are yellow in colour, or grey,
.black, red and mottled, or else gilt by laying gold on the surface,
which is then covered by a thin sheet of glass. They prepare plaster
with Arabian gum, and lay it over the walls, and this they ornament
•with the mosaics, which are set so as to form figures and inscriptions.
-In some cases they cover the whole surface with the gold-mosaic, so
that all the wail seems as though it were of nothing but pure
-old.'
2
iS Dt,SCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
not be found figured on these walls ! The capitals of
the columns are covered with gold, and the vaulting above
the arcades is everywhere ornamented in mosaic. The
columns round the court are all of white marble, while the
walls that enclose it, the vaulted arcades, and the arched
windows above, are adorned in mosaic with arabesque
designs. The roofs are everywhere overlaid with plates of
lead, and the battlements on both sides are faced with the
mosaic work. On the right (or western)^ side of the court
is the Treasure-house (Bait Mal),^ raised on eight columns,
finely ornamented, and the walls are covered with mosaic.
Both within the Mihrab and around it are set cut-agates
and turquoises of the size of the finest stones used in rings.
Besides this Mihrab, and to the left (east) of it, there is
another, which is for the special use of the Sultan. It was
formerly much dilapidated ; but I hear now that he has ex-
pended thereon 500 Dinars^ to restore the same to its
former condition. On the summit of the cupola of the mosque
is an orange, and above it a pomegranate, both in gold.
But of the most wonderful of the sights here worthy of
remark is verily the setting of the various coloured marbles^
and how the veining in each follows from that of its neigh-
bour ; and it is such that, should an artist come daily
during a whole year and stand before these mosaics, he
might always discover some new pattern and some fresh
design. It is said that the Khalif al Walid,* in order to con-
struct these mosaics, brought skilled workmen from Persia,
^ The visitor is supposed to stand facin.^ the Mihrab, towards
Makkah, that is, roughly, south.
2 Still standing. It is at the present day called the Kubbet al
Khaznah, the Dome of the Treasury. See plan, p. 21.
^ About ;^25o.
'* One of the most notable of the Omeyyad Khalifs. He reigned
from A.H. 86 to 96 (a.d. 705-715) and was the son and successor of
'Abd-al-Malik who built the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 19
India, Western Africa and Byzantium, spending^ thereon
the revenues of Syria for seven years, as well as eighteen
shiploads of gold and silver, which came from Cyprus.^
And this does not include what the Emperor of Byzantium
and the Amirs of the Muslims gave to him in the matter
of precious stones and other materials, for the mosaics.
The people enter the mosque by four gates — namely
Bab Jayrun, Bab al Faradis, Bab al Barid and Bab as Sa'at.
Bab al Barid^ (the Gate of the Post) opens into the right-
hand (or west side of the court). It is of great size, and
has two smaller gateways to right and to left of it. The
chief gateway and the two lesser ones have each of them
double doors, which are covered with plates of gilded
copper. Over the great and the two smaller gateways are
the porticoes, and the doors open into the long arcades,
which are vaulted over, the arches of the vault resting on
marble columns, while the walls are covered after the
manner that has already been described. The ceihngs
here are all painted with the most exquisite designs. In
these arcades is the place of the paper-sellers, and also
the court of the Kadi's lieutenant. This gate comes in
between the main building (the covered part of the
mosque) and the court. Opposite to it, and on the left-
hand side (or east), is the Bab Jayrun,^ which is similar to
^ See p. 24, n. i. 2 g^g p y^^ ^^ j^
3 Jayrun (according to Muhammad b. Shakir, the author of the
»Uyun at Tawarikh, who died A.H. 764, A.D. 1562 : see Haji Khalfa,
No. 8463) was the name of a palace built on columns during the time
of the Greeks ; or, as some affirm, by certain of the Genii at the com-
mand of King Solomon. Another tradition connects the Gates Jayrun
and Barid with the two sons of the mythical hero 'Ad, who were
so named ; and Makrizi states that in ancient days there stood in
Damascus a temple dedicated to Jupiter which had been constructed
by Jayrun the son of Sa'ad the son of 'Ad. Jayrun further appears to
have been the name of one of the City Gates and of the quarter adja-
cent, which was burnt down in A.H. 559.
2 — 2
20 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
the Gate Al Barid just described, only that its porticoes
are vaulted over in the breadth. To this gate you ascend
by steps, on which the astrologers and other such people
are wont to take their seat.
Bab as Sa at (the Gate of the Hours) is in the eastern
angle of the covered part (of the mosque).^ It has double
doors, which are unornamented, and over it is a portico,
under which are seated the public notaries and the
like. The fourth gate is called Bab al Faradis (the Gate
of the Gardens), also with double doors. It is opposite
the Mihrab, and opens into the arcades (on the north
side of the courtyard) between the two additions, which
have been built here on the right and the left.^ Above it
1 The Gate of the Hours, or of the clock, was so called after a large
Clepsydra that stood near it.
2 There is some confusion in the names of the two last-mentioned
gates. The plan of the mosque given by J. L. Porter (in the first
edition of ' Five Years in Damascus/ London, 1855) is here repro-
duced. There is no gate opening at the present day into the eastern
angle of the mosque. In the western portion of the South Wall is the
Gate, for which Kremer gives three names, viz. : Bab as Surmayatiyyah
(of the Shoemakers' Bazaar), or Az Ziyadah (of the Addition), or As
Saat (of the Hours). Bab az Ziyadah is the name by which this gate
is known at present. (See Badeker, p. 483.) But this cannot be the
gate .which Mukaddasi calls Bab al Faradis, for that he says is
opposite (Kibal) the Mihrab and opens into the arcades through the
recent Additions (Ziyadatain) ; although it must be confessed that this
last word very naturally recalls the name of the present Bib az Ziyadah
(Gate of the Addition). Mukaddasi's Bib al Faridis, however, from
its position is the modern Bab al 'Amarah, which opens north and is
immediately east of the present Madhanet al 'Arus (the Minaret of the
Bride). This last would be the 'recently-constructed Minaret' ot
Mukaddasi, but that there is a doubt again here, for this is the most
ancient minaret of the mosque, which, having been built by the
Omeyyad Khalif al Walid, was nearly three centuries older than
our author's time. Quatrem^re, however, in his description of the
mosque, says that the Eastern and Western Minarets were both more
ar.cient than the Madhanet al 'Arus built by Al Walid, i.e. that they
INCLUDING PALESTINE.
2t
rises a minaret: this has recently been constructed, and
is ornamented (with mosaic work) in the manner already
oYara*
a. BAb al Barid.
d. Bab Jayrun.
c. The gate now called Bdb az
Ziyadah, also known as Bab
as Surmayatiyyah (of the
Shoemaker's Bazaar). The
Bab as Sa'at (of the hours)
of Mukaddasi ?
{/. The present Bab al 'Amarah,
the Bab al Faradis of Mukad-
dasi?
e. The present Madhanat al
'Arus (Minaret of the Bride),
said to have been built by Al
Walid.
/. Madhanat 'Isa (of Jesus).
^\ Madhanat al Gharbiyyah (the
Western).
//. Mihrab.
/. The centre dome called Kub-
bat an Nasr (Dome of the
Vulture).
^. Chamber said to contain John
the Baptist's Head.
/. Kubbat al Khaznah or al
Kuttub (Dome of the Trea-
sury or the Books).
7;. Kubbat an Naufarab, or '0th-
man (Dome of the Fountain,
or of 'Othman), the Place of
Ablution.
n. Kubbat as Sa'at (Dome of
the Hours).
0. Fountain outside Bab Jay-
run, at the bottom of the
steps.
date from the times of the original Christian Church of St. John
(' Sultans Mamlouks,' ii. i, p. 273). Mukaddasi's Bab al Faradis ('of
the Gardens,' which were on the Barada River to the north), is tb-:
22 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
described. Before each of these four gates is a place for
the Abkition, of marble, provided with cells, wherein is
running water, and fountains which flow into great
marble basins. In the mosque is a channel which they
open once every year, and from it water gushes out,
filling the whole floor of the mosque to about an ell
deep, and its walls and area are thus cleansed. After-
wards they open another conduit, and through it the water
runs off. From the Sultan's palace, which is behind the
mosque and is called Al Khadra (the Green Palace), are
gates leading into the Maksurah,^ which are plated with
gold.
Now one day I said, speaking to my father's brother, ' O,
my uncle, verily it was not well of the Khalif al Walid to
expend so much of the wealth of the Muslims on the
mosque at Damascus. Had he expended the same on
making roads, or for caravanserais, or in the restoration of
the fortresses, it would have been more fitting and more
excellent of him.' But my uncle said to me in answer,
* O, my little son, you have not understanding ! Verily Al
Walid was right, and he was prompted to do a worthy
work. For he beheld Syria to be a country that had long
been occupied by the Christians, and he noted herein the
beautiful churches still belonging to them, so enchantingly
fair, and so renowned for their splendour : even as are the
Bab an Natifiyyin (of the Confectioners) of Ibn Jubair, p. 270. In
Quatrem^re (quoting Abiil Baka's ' History of Damascus),' ii. I., p. 283,
and Ibn Jubair, p. 270, the Door to the South is invariably spoken of
as the Bab az Ziyadah.
^ Maksurah — the chapel or railed-in space in the mosque — the
Sultan's place of prayer. The Palace of Al Khadra was built by the
Khalif Mu'dwiyah (a.h. 44 to 60, A.D. 664-679), who inhabited it for
more than forty years (Quatremere, ii. i, p. 263). The Maksilrah
Omeyyad was built by the Khalif Sulaiman {op. «'/., p. 282), who
reigned from a.h. 96 to 99, A.D. 713-716.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 23
Kumamah^ (the Church of the Holy Sepulchre) and the
churches of Lydda and Edessa. So he sought to build
for the Muslims a mosque that should prevent their regard-
ing these, and that should be unique and a wonder to the
world. And in like manner is it not evident how the
Khalif 'Abd al Malik, noting the greatness of the Dome
of the Kumamah and its magnificence, was moved lest
it should dazzle the minds of the Muslims, and hence
erected, above the Rock, the Dome which now is seen
there.'
In a certain book that I found in the library of 'Adud
ad Daulah, it is said that there are two cities which are the
Brides of the Earth, namely Damascus and Ar Ray ;^ and
Yahya ibn Aktham ^ states that there are in the world three
places of perfect delight — namely, the Vale of Samarkand,
the Ghutah of Damascus, and the Canal of Ubullah.*
Damascus was founded by Dimask, the son of Kani, the
son of Malik, the son of Arfakhshad (Arphaxad), the
son of Sam (Shem), five years before the birth of Abraham;
Al Asma'i, however, asserts that its name is to be derived
from the word * Dimashkuha,' meaning * they hastened in
its building.' The Omeyyad Khalif 'Omar ibn 'Abd al
'Aziz,^ it is said, wished at one time to demolish the
^ Al Kumamah— literally 'The Dunghill.' This is a designed cor-
ruption on the part of the Muslims of 'Al Kayamah ' — ' Anastasis'— the
name given to the Church of the Resurrection (the Holy Sepulchre)
by the Christian Arabs.
- Rhages in Persia. The ruins of the ancient city lies not far from
Tehran.
3 A celebrated jurist who flourished during the times of Al Mdmiin.
He died A.H. 242 = A.D. 857.
"' Which runs from Busrah to the Shatt el 'Arab, just below the
junction of the Euphrates and Tigris.
^ Among the pleasure-loving Khalifs of House of Omeyyah, Omar
ibn 'Abd al 'Aziz, was the one bigoted ascetic, who strove ineffectually
to restore the primitive manners of the early d^ys of Islam. He came
24 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
mosque, and make use of its materials in the public-works
of the Muslims, but he was at length persuaded to abandon
the design. I have read in some book that there was
expended on the Damascus mosque the value of eighteen
mule-loads of gold.^
A satirist writing of the people of Damascus has said:^
O you who ask concerning our religion !
Noting the proud bearing of the doctors of the Law,
And their righteous gait in public,
Know that their outward appearance is not as are their secret ways.
They have nought to boast of save their mosque.
And in speaking of this too they overstep all moderation.
Should a neighbour come to them for a light from their fire,
Never will they give him, in kindness, a kindling from their
hearth.
To their neighbours they are as raging lions,— but their enemies
May go secure, they will be treated with servility in the homesteads
of Damascus !
This last line, however, is not true, for their enemies went
always in fear and trembling of them.
BaNIYaS (Paneas)^ is a city near the border of the
Hulah (Merom Lake), and lies at the foot of the mountain
(of Hermon). Its climate is softer and pleasanter than that
of Damascus. To this place have migrated the greater
to the throne in A.H. 99 (a.d. 717), and reigned for two years, earning
by his pious ways the title of ' the Good Khalif,' which his deeds in
truth but little justified.
^ Apparently a variation of what was stated before. See p. 19^
The sums expended during the building of the mosque are variously
given. Ibn Jubair, p. 263, places the total at 11,200,000 dinars ; while
Quatremere, op. cit.^ ii. i, p. 269, quoting at second-hand from Ibn
Asakir gives 5,600,000 dinars. The former sum would be equivalent
to about five and a half millions sterling, and the latter may be esti-
mated at two and three quarter millions ; but the sums in either case
are doubtless entirely fictitious.
^ These verses are probably part of some popular song.
^ The Greek name Paneas was changed by Philip the Tetrarch to-
that of Csesarea Philippi. •
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 25
part of the Muslim inhabitants of the frontier districts,
since Tarsus was taken (by the Christians in A.H. 354,
A.D. 965), and the population is still on the increase, for
daily men come hither. There is here an extremely cold
river,^ which rises from under the Mount of Snow (Hermon),
gushing forth in the middle of the town. Baniyas is the
granary of Damascus. Its river irrigates cotton-lands and
rice-fields. The city is pleasant to inhabit, being situated
among lovely villages, and the sole drawback is that the
drinking-water is bad.
SaidA (Sidon) and BairOt are two fortified cities on
the sea, and so too is TaraBULUS (Tripoli).- The
Lebanon mountains lie above Sidon and Tripoli, running
parallel to the coast. Tripoli is the most beautiful of these
three towns.
'Arkah is a place lying some way from the sea.^
* This is one of the sources of the Jordan. For a description of the
spring and the grotto, see S. of W. P. Mems. I., p. 109.
^ For a description of Sidon and its History, see Robinson III.,
p. 421 ei seq. Bairut, called in Roman days Berytus, was famous for
the baths and theatres erected there by Herod Agrippa. A Roman
school of Law also flourished, and the silk manufacturers of this city
were celebrated throughout the Empire. Robinson who gives a full
account of the town and its antiquities (III., p, 441 ei seq.) would identify
Bairut, Berytus, with the city of Berothai of the 2 Sam. viii. 8 and
other passages. Tripoli is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians,
though what name it bore at that period is unknown. The city rose
to fame in the times of the Seleucidce, and during Roman days
possessed many magnificent buildings, of which, however, no trace
now remains. See Badeker, p. 509.
* 'Arkah, the modern Tell 'Arka (Badeker., p. 536). It was origi-
nally a Phoenician city, and the seat of the 'Arkites' mentioned in
Genesis x. 17. At the time of the First Crusade, the fortress of Area,
or Arcados as the name is given by Raimund d'Agiles, successfully
resisted the attacks of the Christians ; and outsj-de its walls the Monk
Peter Bartholemasus underwent the Ordeal L^ Fire in vindication of
the truth of his Vision, and of the genuineness of the Holy Lance
(Besant and Palmer, 'Jerusalem,' p. 176). For the history of the
26 , DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Ba'albakk is an ancient and fortified city. Within the
rarnparts are cultivated lands, also many wondrous ruins.
Grapes are in abundance.'^
The other cities of the Province of Damascus are pros-
perous and pleasant, being situated for the most part in the
lands bordering on the Nahral Maklub (the river Orontes).^
In HaurAn and Al Bathaniyyaii are the villages of
Job, his lands, and the place of his washings.
Nawa is the chief city — most rich in wheat and grain. ^
The territory of the HtJLAH produces much cotton and
rice ; it is low-lying, and has numerous streams.
The Jaulan district supplies Damascus with most of its
provisions.
The GhOtah (the plain round Damascus) is a day's
journey (or about thirty miles) across each way, and beau-
tiful beyond all description.
Tabariyyah (Tiberias) is the capital of the Jordan
province, and a city of the Valley of Kin'an.* The houses
stand between the mountain and the Lake. It is narrow,
fortress during the Crusades, see Robinson, 1852, p. 580. 'Arkah in
Byzantine times was known as * Caesarea of the Lebanon' (R^nan,
Mission de Ph^nice,' p. 115). William of Tyre calls the town Archis.
^ In his introduction, p. 34, Mukaddasi remarks that ' None are
more addicted to wine than the men of Ba'albakk.' The Greeks
called the city Heliopolis.
^ Nahr al Maklub, 'the Overturned River.' The Orontes was so
named by the Arabs because it runs from South to North, instead of
in the opposite direction, as, according to their notions, all streams
were bound to do. It is now known under the name of Nahr al 'Asi,
* the Rebel Stream,' presumably from the same idea of its improper
course.
^ Nawa is the ancient Neve. For a full description of its ruins, see
G. Schumacher's explorations 'Across Jordan,' 1886, p. 167.
■* See above, p. 2. Tiberias was founded by Herod about A.D. 20,
and called after the Emperor Tiberius. For a description of its ruins
see S. of W. P. Mems. I., p. 361.
INCLUDING PALESTINE, 27
shut in in summer, and unhealthy. The town is nearly a
league in length, but has no breadth. Its market-place
extends from one city gate to the other, and its graveyard
is on the hill slope. There are here eight natural hot-
baths, where no fuel need be used, and numberless basins
besides, of boiling water. The mosque is large and fine,
and stands in the market-place. Its floor is laid in pebbles
set on stone drums placed close one to another. Of the
people of Tiberias is it said : that for two months they
dance, and for two more they gorge, that for two months
they beat about, and for two more they go naked, that for
two months they play the reed, and for two more they
wallow. The explanation of this is, that they dance from
the number of the fleas, then gorge off the Nabak plum ;'•
they beat about with fly-flaps to chase away the wasps
from the meat and the fruits, then they go naked from the
heat ; they suck the sugar-canes, and then they have to
wallow through their muddy streets. Beyond the lower end
of the Lake of Tiberias is a great bridge,^ over which lies
the road from Damascus. The people drink the water of
the lake. Around its shores are villages and palm-trees, and
on its surface are boats which come and go. The water from
the baths and the hot-springs flows into the lake, and hence
for drinking the strangers dislike its flavour. It swarms
^ In his chapter on Egypt, Mukaddasi describes the Nabak, (p. 204,)
as 'a fruit of the size of the medlar (Zu'rui). It contains numerous
kernels, and is sweet. It is the fruit of the Sidr tree (the tree-lotus).
To the fruit they add (the sweet paste called) Nidah, which is the
same as Samanu, only more finely prepared, and then spread it out
on reed-matting until it dries and sticks together.' Samanu is a sweet
porridge that is well known at the present day all over Persia, and
Nidah is the sweetmeat for which the town of Menshiyyeh in Egypt
is famous, the preparation of which is fully described in a learned note
by De Sacy, 'Chrest. Arabe,' ii., p. 25 (12).
' The Jisr al Majami'ah (S. of W. P. Mems II. p. 116), crossing the
Jordan.
28 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
none the less with fish, and the water is h'ght of digestion.
The mountains, which are steep, overhang the town.
Kadas (Kadesh Naphthali)^ is a small town on the slope
of the mountain. It is full of good things. Jabal 'Amilah
is the district which is in its neighbourhood. It possesses
three springs, from which the people drink, and they have
one bath situated below the town. The mosque is in the
market, and in its court is a palm tree. The place is
very hot. There is a small Lake (the Hulah) about an
hour's distance off, the waters of which flow into the Lake
of Tiberias. In order to form the Lake they have made a
marvellous dam across the river, filling in the bed. Along
the shore are thickets of the Halfa-reed,^ which gives the
people their livelihood, for they weave mats and twist ropes
therefrom. In this Lake are numerous kinds of fish, espe-
cially that called the Bunni,^ which was brought here
from Wasit (in Mesopotamia), that town of numerous clients.
In Jabal 'Amilah* are many fine villages, and here are
grown grapes and other fruits and olives, and also many
springs. The rain-fall waters its fields. The district over-
hangs the sea, and adjoins the Lebanon mountains.
1 For an account of the remarkable ruins found here see S. of W. P.^
Mems. L, p. 226.
2 The Halfa-reed here mentioned, Canon Tristram considers, un-
doubtedly represents the Papyrus antiqiiorinn^ by the present Fellaliin
called Babur, which grows so extensively in the Hulah Lake. (See
S. of W. P. 'Fauna and Flora of Palestine,' p. 438.) Lane, however,
states (Dictionary, s.v. Haifa) that the botanical name of this reed is
Pua multijlora or P. cyjtostiroides, but he gives no authority.
^ Berggren, in his 'Guide Arabe Vulgaire' Upsala, 1844, translates
* Carp' by ' Bunni ' which probably is the fish here alluded to. Berg-
gren further notes that the ' Bunni ' is found in both the Sea of Galilee
and in the Euphrates.
"* Jabal 'Amilah is named after the Bani 'Amilah, the tribe who settled
in these lands at the time of the Muslim Conquest. The district
occupies Upper Galilee.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 29
Adhri'aII^ is a city close to the desert. To it belongs
the district of Jabal Jarasii ^ (Gerasa), which lies opposite
to Jabal 'Amilah (across the Jordan). It is full of villages,
and Tiberias owes its prosperity to the neighbourhood of
these two districts (of Jabal Jarash and Jabal 'Amilah).
Baisan^ lies on the Jordan. It abounds in palm-trees,
and from this place comes all the rice consumed in the pro-
vinces of the Jordan and of Palestine. Wateris here abundant,
and easily obtained; but for drinking purposes it is deemed
heavy of digestion. The mosque stands in the market-place,
and many men of piety make their home in this town.
Al LajjOn* — A city on the frontier of Palestine, and in
the mountain country. Running water is found here. It
is well situated, and is a pleasant place.
Kabul ^ is a town in the coast district. It has fields of
canes, and they make there excellent sugar — better than in
all the rest of Syria.
Al FarAdhiyyah^ is a large village, in which is a
mosque where they preach. There are found here grapes,
and vineyards abound. The water is plentiful, and the
country round is pleasant.
'Akka (Acre) is a fortified city on the sea. The mosque
^ There seems little doubt that this is the Biblical Edrei, the capital
of the Kingdom of Bashan. For an account of the marvellous Under-
ground City found here, see * Across Jordan' p. 121.
^ Now known as Jabal 'Ajlun.
^ The ancient Beth Shean, where Saul's dead body was * fastened on
the wall' (i Sam. xxxi. 10). For its ruins see S. of W. P., Mems. IL,
p. loi, ^/ ^■^^. In Roman days the city was called Scythopolis. If I am
not mistaken rice is nowhere cultivated at the present day in Palestine.
* Al Lajjun, the Legio of Roman days is often identified as the site
of the Megiddo of Scripture. For a full discussion of the point, see
S. ofW. P., Mems. II., p. 90.
° See S. of W. P., Mems. L, p. 271. The Biblical 'Cabul' (Josh.
xix. 27) and the Chabolo of Josephus.
• See S. of \V. P., Mems. I., p. 203.
.30 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
here is very large. In its court is a clump of olive trees,
the oil from which suffices for the lamps of the mosque, and
yet besides. This city had remained unfortified until the
time v/hen Ibn Tulun^ visited it, coming from Tyre, where
he had seen the fortifications and the walls which are there
carried round so as to protect the harbour. Ibn Tulun
wished to construct at 'Akka a fortification that should be
as impregnable as that of Tyre. From all provinces arti-
ficers were brought together ; but when the matter was laid
before them, all averred that none in those days knew how
the foundations of a building could be laid in the water.
Then one mentioned to Ibn Tulun the name of my grand-
father, Abu Bakr, the Architect, saying that if perchance
any had knowledge in these matters, it would be he
alone. So Ibn Tulun wrote to his Lieutenant in Jerusalem,
commanding that he should despatch my grandfather to
him ; and on his arrival they laid the affair before him.
*The matter is easy,' said my grandfather ; * let them bring-
■such sycamore beams as are large and strong.' These
beams he then caused to be floated on the surface
of the water, according to the plan of a land-fort, binding
them one to the other ; while towards the west he left the
opening for a mighty gateway. . And upon these beams he
raised a structure with stones and cement. After every
five courses he strengthened the same by setting in great
columns, until at length the beams became so weighted
that they began to sink down ; but this, little by little, and
finally, he knew that they had rested on the sand. Then
•he ceased building for a whole year, that the construction
might consolidate itself, after which, returning, he began
again to build. And from where he had left off, continuing
-he made a junction between this and the ancient city walls,
1 Ahmad ibn Tulun was ruler of Egypt and its dependencies from
A.H. 254 to 27o = A.D. 868-883. -He was the founder of the Dynasty of
the TCilunides.
INCLUDING PALESTINE.
bringing the new work right up into the old, and causing
the two to join together. Across the western water-gate of
the port he built a bridge, and every night when the ships
had come within the harbour they drew across the water-
gate a chain, even as was the case at Tyre. It is reported
that my grandfather received for this matter the sum of
1,000 dinars, besides robes of honour, horses, and other ^
gifts, and his name was inscribed over the.work.^ Now
before this harbour had been made the enemy were wont
to take advantage of the ships lying here and do them
grievous damage.
Al Jashsh is a village that is almost of the size of a
provincial capital. It lies in the centre of four districts
that are in the vicinity of the sea.^
StJR (Tyre) is a fortified town on the sea, or rather in
the sea, for you enter the town through one gate only, over
a bridge, and the sea lies all round it. The city consists
of two Quarters — the first being built on the terra firma ;
while the second (the harbour), beyond this, is an area
enclosed by triple walls with no earth appearing, for the
walls rise out of the water. Into this harbour the ships
come every night, and then a chain is drawn across,
whereby the Greeks are prevented from molesting them.
All this has been described by Muhammad ibn al Hasan
1 According to Yakut, in the thirteenth century A.D., when he wrote,
the inscription was still m situ. A thousand dinars would be equal to
about ;^5co sterling. For a description of Acre and its history see
S. of W. P., Mems. I., p. i6o. The remains oi tVe double mole which
formed the inner harbour still exist, though for the most part they lie,
at the present day, under water.
2 In another section of his book, p. 46, our author states that at
Al Jashsh was preserved the * Chain of David,' but he mentions the
tradition as of doubtful authority. Al Jashsh is the town called Gis-
chala by Josephus, and was the birthplace of the celebrated John of
Gischala who played so prominent a part in the defence, during the
great siege of Jerusalem by Titus. See ' Jerusalem,' by Besant and
Palmer, Chnp. ii., also S. of W. P., Mems. I., p. 224.
32 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
(Ash Shaibani) ^ in his work entitled * Kitab al Ikrah.'
Water is brought into the town by means of a vaulted
aqueduct. Tyre is a beautiful and pleasant city. Many
artificers dwell here, and ply their special trades. Between
Tyre and Acre lies a bay of the sea, and thus the proverb
says * Acre is opposite Tyre ; but getting to it you will tire *
— that is, while travelling all along the sea-shore.^
Ar-Ramlah (Ramleh)3 is the capital of Palestine. It is
a fine city, and well built ; its water is good and plentiful ;
its fruits are abundant. It combines manifold advantages,
situated as it is in the midst of beautiful villages and lordly
towns, near to holy places and pleasant hamlets. Com-
merce here is prosperous, and means of livelihood easy.
There is no finer mosque in Islam than the one in this city;
its bread is of the best and the whitest ; its lands are well
favoured above all others, and its fruits are of the most
luscious. The capital stands among fruitful fields, walled
towns, and serviceable hospices. It possesses magnificent
hostelries and pleasant baths, dainty food and various condi-
ments, spacious houses, fine mosques and broad roads. As
a capital it possesses many advantages. It is situated on the
plain, and is yet near both to the mountains and the sea. It
has both fig-trees and palms ; its fields need no irrigation,
1 Vide sup7'a^ note 2, p. 4. He wrote a celebrated work on the Laws
of War. The Kitab al Ikrah, the * Book of Matters Avoidable/ is given
in Hajji Khalfa, Vol. V., p. 48, No. 9882.
2 For a plan of Tyre, see Appendix to Vol. III. of Memoirs of S. of
W. P., and for the general account see Vol. I., p. 72. The aqueduct
bringing water to the city from Ras al 'Ain is described at p. 70 of the
same volume.
3 Ar-Ramlah, so named from the ' Sandy ' nature of the soil where
the town stands. The city was founded after the Muslim Conquest,
by the Omeyyad Khalif Sulaiman the son of 'Abd al Malik (a.h. 96 to
99, A.D. 715-718), and was made the capital of Palestine. It is now
however a small unwalled town of very secondary importance. For
the history of the place, see Robinson III., p. 2>Z'
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 33
and arc by nature fi ultful and rich. Its disadvantages, on
the other hand, are, that in winter the place is a slough of
mud, while in summer it is a powder-box of sand, where no
water flows, neither is anything green, nor is the soil
humid, nor is there snow. Fleas here abound. The wells
are deep and salt, and the rain-water is hoarded in closed
cisterns ; hence the poor go thirsty, and strangers seek in
vain. So too the seats before the baths are filled with
expectant bathers, while the servants are grinding at the
water-wheels. The city occupies the area of a square mile ;
its houses are built of finely-quarried stones.^ The best
known among its gates are the Gate of the Soldier's Well
(Darb Bir al 'Askar),^ the Gate of the 'Annabah Mosque,*
the Gate of Jerusalem, the Gate of Bila'ah,* the Lydda Gate
(Darb Ludd), the Jaffa Gate (Darb Yafa), the Egypt Gate
(Darb Misr), and the Dajun Gate. Close to Ar-Ramlah is
the town of Dajun,^ with its mosque. It is inhabited mostly
by Samaritans. The chief mosque of Ar-Ramlah is in
the market, and it is even more beautiful and graceful than
that of Damascus. It is called Al Abyad (the White Mosque).
^ In his introductory chapter Mukaddasl writes : — * If Ar Ramlah
had only running-water the town would be without compare the
finest in Islam ; for it is pleasant and pretty, standing between
Jerusalem and the frontier towns, between the Ghaur of the Jordan and
the sea. Its climate is mild, its fruits are luscious, its people generous
— being, however, also rather foolish : it is an emporium for Egyptian
goods, and an excellent commercial station for the two seas.'
^ Al 'Askar is mentioned by our author in his introductory chapter
as the name of one of the quarters of Ar Ramlah.
=* The village of 'Annabah lies west of Ar Ramlah (see S. of W. P.
Mems. III., p. 14). In Jerome's Onomasticon it is mentioned under
the name of Anab, which was also called Betho Annaba. See further
on the two places called Bel/io Annada, and Belk Anfiabcun ' Special
Papers,' p. 250.
■* The reading is very uncertain ; see next page, n. 2.
* The modern Bait Dijan^the Beth Dagon of Judah (Joshua'xv. 41)-
See Memoirs II., p. 251.
3
34 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
In all Islam there is found no finer Mihrab than the one
here, and its pulpit is the most exquisite that is to be seen
after that of Jerusalem ; also it possesses a beautiful minaret,
built by the Khalif Hisham ibn 'Abd al Malik.i I have
heard my uncle relate that when the Khalif was about to
build the minaret it was reported to him that the Christians
possessed columns of marble, then lying buried beneath
the sand, which they had prepared for the Church of
Bali'ah f thereupon the Khalif Hisham informed the Chris-
tians that either they must show him where the columns lay,
or that he would demolish their church at Lydda, in order to
employ its columns for the building of his mosque. So the
Christians pointed out where they had buried their columns
and they are very thick and tall and beautiful. The covered
portion of the mosque is flagged with marble, and the
court with otL^i stone, all carefully laid t^-'^ther. The gates
of the covered part are made of cypress wo^ ^ and cedar,
carved in the inner parts, and very beautiful in appearance.
Jerusalem, Bait-al-Makdis (the Holy City), also known
as lliya and Al Balat.^ Among provincial towns none is
larger than Jerusalem, and many capitals are in fact smaller,
1 The Omeyyad Khalif Hisham reigned at Damascus from A.H. 105
to 125 (a.d. 724-743). For a plan of the White Mosque and full
description see Memoirs II., p. 271.
^ There is some doubt as to the reading of this word. It very
probably is the same name as that of the gate mentioned above
(p. 33, n. 4), and we have possibly reference here to the ancient town
of 'Baalah which is Kirjath-jearim ' (Joshua xv. 9; also ix. 17,
and XV. 60), identified with the modern Karyet al 'Inab or Abu Ghaush,
where may still be seen the remains of the fine Church of St. Jeremiah,
possibly alluded to in the text. For an illustration of the church see
Memoirs I II., p. 1 32, and also p. 18 of the same volume for Karyet al' Inab.
^ tliya is the Arabic form of the first part of ^lia Capitolina, the
name given to the Holy City by the Emperor Hadrian. The word Al
Balat may be translated the ' Imperial Residence ' or * Court.' See
Ouatremcre, ' Hist, des Sultans Mam.', ii. i. p.. 278. It is a corruption
of the Latin ' Palatium.'
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 35
as, for instance, Istakhr and Ka-in and Al Firma.^ Neither
the cold nor the heat is excessive here, and snow falls but
rarely. The Kadi Abu'l Kasim, son of the Kadi of the
Two Holy Cities,- inquired of me once concerning the climate
of Jerusalem. I answered, * It is betwixt and between —
neither very hot nor very cold.' Said he in reply, ' Just
as is that of Paradise.' The buildings of the Holy City are
of stone, and you will find nowhere finer or more solid con-
structions. In no place will you meet with a people^ more
chaste. Provisions are most excellent here, the markets
are clean, the mosque is of the largest, and nowhere are
Holy Places more numerous. The grapes are enormous,
and there are no quinces to equal those of the Holy City.
In Jerusalem are all manner of learned men and doctors,
and for this reason the hearts of men of intelligence yearn
towards her. All the year round, never are her streets
empty of strangers. Now one day at Busrah I was seated
in the assembly of the Chief Kadi Abu Yahya ibn Bahram,
and the conversation turned on the city of Cairo. Then
one said, speaking to me, * And can any city be more illus-
trious ?' I replied, 'Why, yes, my own native town !' Said he,
' But is any pleasanter than Cairo ?' I answered, ' Yes again,
my native town.' It was said, * Ah, but Cairo is the more
excellent ; and the more beautiful ; and the more produc-
tive of good things, and the more spacious.' Still, to each
^ Istakhr is the ancient Persepolis, the capital of Fars ; Ka-in is in
the Kohistan, between Ispahan and Nishapur ; and Al Firma is a town
of Lower Egypt, the ancient Pelusium.
2 t.e. Makkah and Al Madinah.
^ In his introductory chapter our author notes that in Jerusalem *one
■can find neither defect nor deficiency. Wine is not publicly consumed,
and there is no drunkenness. The city is devoid of houses of ill-fame,
whether public or private. The people too are noted for piety and
sincerity. At one time, when it became known that the Governor
drank wine, they built up round his house a wall, and thus prevented
from getting to him those who were invited to his banquets.'
:: — 2
35 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
and all I replied, ' Not so ! it is my native town/ Then the
company were astonished, and they said to me, * Thou art a
man of erudition, but thou dost advance now more than
can be accorded to thee, in our belief. Verily thou art
even as the man who owned the she-camel, and colloquied
with Al Hajjaj !^ But the Arab brought up his camel in
proof. Now do thou do likewise, and we will deem thee a
man of wit.' So I answered them and spake : ' Now, as to
my saying that Jerusalem is the most illustrious of cities,
why is she not one that unites the advantages of This World
to those of the Next ? He who is of the sons of This World
and yet is ardent in the matters of the Next, may with ad-
vantage seek her markets ; while he who would be of the
men of the Next World, though his soul clings to the good
things of This, he, too, may find these here ! And as to
Jerusalem being the pleasantest of places in the way of
climate, why the cold there does not injure, and the heat is
not noxious. And as to her being the finest city, why, has
any seen elsewhere buildings finer, or cleaner, or a mosque
that is more beautiful ? And as for the Holy City being
the most productive of all places in good things, why
Allah — may He be exalted — has gathered together here
all the fruits of the lowlands, and of the plains, and of the
hill country, even all those of the most opposite kinds ;
such as the orange and the almond, the date and the nut,.
the fig and the banana, besides milk in plenty, and honey
and sugar. And as to the excellence of the City ! why, is
not this to be the plain of marshalling on the Day of
Judgment ; where the gathering together and the appoint-
ment will take place? Verily Makkah and Al Madinah
have their superiority by reason of the Ka'abah and the
^ This has reference to a well-known story of a Bedawin who, in.
praising his camel to Al Hajjaj, the Governor of Irak, described her
as being possessed of every possible and impossible virtue.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 37
Prophet — the blessing of Allah be upon him and his
family — but verily, on the Day of Judgment, they will both
come to Jerusalem, and the excellences of them all will there
be united. And as to Jerusalem being the most spacious of
cities ; why, since all created things are to assemble there,
what place on the earth can be more extensive than this !*
And the company were pleased with my words, agreeing
to the truth of them.
Still Jerusalem has some disadvantages. Thus, it is
reported as found written in the Torah, that ' Jerusalem is
as a golden basin filled with scorpions.' Then you will not
find baths more filthy than those of the Holy City ; nor
in any town are provisions dearer. Learned men are few,
and the Christians numerous, and the same are un-
mannerly in the public places. In the hostelries taxes are
heavy on all that is sold, for there are guards at every gate,
and no one is able to sell aught whereby to obtain a
profit, except he be satisfied with but little gain. In this
City the oppressed have no succour ; the meek are molested^
and the rich envied. Jurisconsults remain unvisited, and
erudite men have no renown ; also the schools are unat-
tended, for there are no lectures. Everywhere the Christians
and the Jews have the upper hand ;^ and the mosque is void
-of either congregation or assembly of learned men.
Jerusalem is smaller than "Makkah, and larger than Al
Madinah. Over the city is a Castle, one side of which
is against the hill-side, while the other is defended by a
ditch.^ Jerusalem has eight iron gates :
^ It is curious that this should have been the condition of the Jews
and Christians a century before the First Crusade.
2 The citadel, * AI Kal'ah,' near the Jaffa Gate. In the Middle Ages
it was known as * the City of David,' and included the site of the
Towers Hippicus and Phasaelus of Josephus, and probably part of the
ground occupied by Herod's Palace.
38 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Bab SihyCin (of Sion).
Bab at Tih (of the Desert of the Wanderings).
Bab al Balat (of the Palace, or Court).
Bab Jubb Armiya (of Jeremiah's Grotto).
Bab Silwan (of Siloam).
Bab Ariha (of Jericho).
Bab al 'Amud (of the Columns).
Bab Mihrab Daud (of David's Oratory).*
. * To account for the difficulties experienced in identifying the gates
rhentioned by Mukaddasi with those in existence at the present day, it
will be enough to recall to mind what changes the Holy City has under-
gone since A.D. looo. Besides the alterations effected by the Crusaders,
and those dating from the period when, after the expulsion of the
Christians, the City had come into the hands of Saladin (a.d. 1187), —
the Walls themselves were in A.D. 1219 systematically destroyed,
together with all the fortifications (except 'the City of David'), when
by treaty the Holy City was ceded to the Emperor Frederic II. The
present walls were built (doubtless following the old lines), for the
most part as late as the time of Sultan Soleiman the Magnificent,
in A.D. 1542. Following in the track of Mukaddasi, subsequent
geographers down to Yakut (in the thirteenth century, A.D.), and the
author of the Jihan Numi (in the seventeenth century), servilely
reproduce our author's enumeration ; but, bearing in mind the con-
stant plagiarism of Arab writers, it need not be concluded that the
eight gates were in their times still open, or were known under the
same names. There is, besides, direct evidence to the contrary.
(i) The Sion Gate, Mujir ad Din states, 'is now called the Gate of
the Jews' Quarter.' It opens between the Jaffa Gate and that near the
Mogrebin Mosque, and is the one called at the present day Bab an
Nabi Daud (of the Prophet David).
(2) The Gate of the Desert of the Wanderings is, by Sepp and
Tobler, identified with the Gate of the Mogrebin Mosque (vulgarly
known as the Dung Gate). I should suggest its being the Gate known
in Mujir ad Din's time as the * Postern Gate' (' Bab Sirr, a small gate
adjacent to the Armenian Convent') opening westward, in the wall to
the south of the Jaffa Gate.
(3) The Gate al Balat, (of the Palace, or Court,) Tobler imagines to
represent the long walled-up Golden Gate in the Eastern Wall of the
Haram Area. But this, by Arab writers, is never considered as, a
Gate of the Cz/j'y and further, the so-called Golden Gate is mentioned
PLAN OF
JERUSALEM
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 39
There is water in Jerusalem in plenty. Thus, it is a com-
mon saying, that * There is no place in Jerusalem but where
you may get water and hear the Call to Prayer ; and few
are the houses that have not cisterns one or more.' Within
the city are three great tanks, namely, the Birkat Bani
Israil, the Birkat Sulaiman, and the Birkat 'lyad.^ In the
by Miikaddasi in its proper place among the Gates of the Haram Area.
I would make the suggestion that the ]3ab al Balat may be the same
as the Bab ar Rahbah (of the Public Square), of Mujir ad Din, which
is described by him as opening in the Western City Wall, not far from
the Jaffa Gate. At the present day none is to be found here.
(4) The Gate of Jeremiah's Grotto can only be the one in the
Northern Wall now closed, but known as the Bab as Sahirah (the Gate
of the Plain; see p. 50, n. 2). In ancient times it was called Herod's Gate.
(5) The Gate of Siloam must have opened to the south-east, and I
take it to be that known to-day as the Mogrebin or Dung Gate.
(6) The Jericho Gate, I concluded without hesitation to be that
to-day called * St. Stephen's ' by the Franks, and known to the Arabs
as *the Gate of Our Lady Mary.' Mujir ad Din, however (p. 262),
says: *The Gate known anciently as the Gate of Jericho has now
altogether disappeared, leaving no trace thereof. It apparently stood
in the vicinity of the buildings that stand over against the Mount of
Olives.* Were the * Jericho Gate 'of Mukaddasi, jzot the modern
' St. Stephen's Gate,' our author's ' Gate of the Desert of the Wander-
ings' might then be identified with this St. Stephen's Gate.
(7) The Gate of the Columns is that now more generally called the
Damascus Gate. It was this Gate that in the times of the Crusaders
went under the name of St. Stephen's Gate.
(8) The Gate of David's Oratory is the Jaffa or Hebron Gate (Bib al
Khalil), which, even as late as Mujir ad Din's times, was known under
the more ancient name.
- It will be noted that these tanks are all within the city.
The Birkat Bani Israil is the well-known tank situated near the
north wall of the Temple Area. Our author wrote at the close of the
tenth century, A.D., and it may be worth noting that this corrects the
statement made by Captain Conder (' Tent Work in Palestine,' 1880
p. 185, and 'Handbook to the Bible,' p. 357), that 'the pool [the
Birket Israil] is not clearly mentioned in any account of Jerusalem
before the twelfth century, about which period perhaps it was first
constructed.*
4d DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
vicinity of each of these are Baths, and to them lead the
water channels from the streets. In the Haram Area
there are twenty underground Cisterns of vast size, and
there are few quarters of the city that have not public
cisterns, though the contents of these last is only the rain
water that drains into them from the streets. At a certain
valley, about a stage from the city,i they have gathered
together the waters and made there two pools, into which
The Tank of Sulaimin, and that of 'lyid, it is now difr.cult to
Identify. Also I am unable to discover whether the former is called
after King Solomon, or after some distinguished Muslim of the
name of Sulaiman. The latter was named after 'lyad ibn Ghanm,
one of the Companions of the Prophet, who accompanied the Caliph
Omar to the Capitulation of Jerusalem. He died in A.H. 20 = A.D. 641,
and, according to Mujir ad Din (p. 231), he built a bath in the
Holy City. The latter author acknowledges his ignorance of the
situation of these two Tanks. One of them must be the pool called
nowadays * Birkat Hammam al Butrak,' the Pool of the Patriarch's
Bath, not far from the Jaffa Gate, and very generally identified with
the Pool Amy gdalon of Josephus.
Of other ancient tanks within the city that may represent one or the
other of those mentioned by our author, there may be cited : —
(i) A double cistern 70 feet long in the Muristan (S. of W. P. * Jeru-
salem,' p. 256) ; most probably the one mentioned by Mujir ad Din as
that in the * Street Marzuban, belonging to and near the bath of 'Ala
ad Dinal Basir' (p. 409).
(2) A pool discovered by Mons. Clermont Ganneau, not far from the
Birkat Israil, and identified by him as the * Pool of Strouthion,' which
supplied with water the Fort Antonia, erected on the north of the
Temple Area (Josephus 'Wars,' v. 11, 4).
(3) The well-known Pool Al Burak. Badeker, p. 185.
Mukaddasi's three pools are, as usual, inserted without comment
in the works of later Arab geographers [e.g., Yakut, etc.;, and Sepp
('Jerusalem,' 1873), makes many fruitless attempts at their identifica-
tion.
^ Now known as Solomon's Pools ; two hours from Jerusalem on
the road to Hebron. The conduit, bringing the water from these to
the Holy City, was constructed by Pontius Pilate ('Josephus,' Antiq.
xviii. 3, 2). For a full description of the Pools and the Aqueduct
see S. of VV, P., Memoirs, HI,, 89.
INCLUDING PALESTINE, 41
the torrents of the winter rains flow. From these two
reservoirs there are channels bringing the water to the city,
which are opened during the spring in order to fill the
cisterns in the Haram Area and also those in other places.
The Masjid al Aksa (the Further Mosque)^ lies at the
south-eastern corner of the Holy City. The stones of its
foundations (of the outer wall), which were laid by David, are
ten ells, or a little less in length. They are chiselled,- finely
faced, and jointed, and of hardest material. On these the
Khalif 'Abd al Malik subsequently^ built, using smaller but
well-shaped stones, and battlements are added above. This
mosque is even more beautiful than that of Damascus, for
during the building of it they had for a rival and as a com-
parison the great church* belonging to the Christians at
Jerusalem, and they built this to be even more magnificent
than that other. But in the days of the Abbasides oc-
curred the earthquakes which threw down most of the main
building ; all, in fact, except that portion round the Mihr^b.
Now when the Khalif^ of that day obtained news of this, he
enquired and learned that the sum at that time in the
treasury would in no wise suffice to restore the mosque.
So he wrote to the Governors of the Provinces and to other
Commanders, that each should undertake the building of a
colonnade. The order was carried out, and the edifice rose
firmer and more substantial than ever it had been in former
times. The more ancient portion remained, even like a
beauty spot, in the midst of the new ; and it extends as far
as the limit of the marble columns, for, beyond, where the
^ Known to the Franks as the Mosque of Omar.
- In Arabic ^ Mankiish^ literally 'sculptured.' This most probably
refers to the well-known draft.
* Circa A.D. 690.
* The Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
^ Said to have been the Khalif Al Mahdi, (A.H. 158-169, A.D. 774-785)
the father of Harun ar Rashid.
42 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
columns are of concrete, the later part commences.
The main building^ of the mosque has twenty-six doors.
The door opposite to the Mihrab is called Bab an Nahas
al A'tham (the Great Brasen Gate); it is plated with
gilded brass, and is so heavy that only a man strong of
shoulder and of arm can turn it on its hinges. To the
right hand of the Great Gate are seven large doors, the
midmost one of which is covered with gilt plates; and
after the same manner there are seven doors to the
left. And farther, on the eastern side are eleven doors,
unornamented. Over the first-mentioned doors, fifteen in
number, is a colonnade supported on marble pillars, lately
erected by *Abd Allah ibn Tahir.^ In the court of the
mosque, on the right-hand side, are colonnades supported
by marble pillars and pilasters ; and on the further side are
halls, vaulted in stone. The centre part of the main building
of the mosque is covered by a mighty roof, high pitched and
gable-wise, behind which rises a magnificent dome. The ceil-
ing everywhere, with the exception of that of the halls on
the further side of the court, is formed of lead in sheets, but
in these halls the ceilings are faced with mosaics studded in.
The Court (of the Haram Area) is paved in all parts ; in
its centre rises a platform, like that in the mosque at Al
Madinah, to which, from all four sides, ascend broad flights
of steps. On this platform stand four domes. Of these, the
Dome of the Chain,^ the Dome of the Ascension,* and the
^ *^/yi/?/^/^^//(J,' literally * the Covered Part,' for the term Masjid
includes not only the body of the mosque, but also the court, and the
exterior colonnades. Here and elsewhere I have translated the word
Mughatta by ' main building.'
^ 'Abd Allah was the independent Governor of Khurasan and the
East, from A.H. 213 to 23o = A.D. 828-844. He was the third in suc-
cession of the Dynasty of the Tahirides.
^ Kubbat-as-Silsilah, facing the eastern door of the Dome of the Rock.
* Kubbat al Mi'raj to the north-west. The Ascension has reference to
the Prophet's ascent into Heaven, during his celebrated Night Journey.
INCLUDING PALESTINE.
A3
44 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Dome of the Prophet/ are of small size, and their domes
are covered with sheet lead, and are supported on marble
pillars, being without walls. In the centre of the platform
is the Dome of the Rock,^ which rises above an octagonal
building having four gates, one opposite to each of the
Plan
OF
E S S AKKRA,
{jDoTTieofthe llock,)
Scale of Foet
flights of steps leading up from the court. These four are,
the Kiblah (or Southern) Gate, the Gate of Israfil (to the
east), the Gate As Sur (or of the Trumpet, to the north),
and (the Women's Gate), Bab an Nisa, which last opens
towards the west.^ All these are adorned with gold, and
^ Kubbat an Nabi, is still so called ; it is one of the small shrines
to the N.W. of the Dome of the Rock, and is distinct from the Kubbet
el Arwah. Yakut (iv. 594) names this ' the Dome of the Prophet
David.' (See also S. of W. P., * Jerusalem/ p. 81, et seq.).
"^ Kubbat as Sakhrah.
' Our author himself gives the orientation of two of the gates.
INCLUDING PALESTINE.
45
closing each of them is a beautiful door of cedar-wood
finely worked in pattern. These last were sent by com-
mand of the mother of the Khalif Al Muktadir Billah.i At
each of the gates is a balustrade of marble and cedar-wood,
with brass-work without ; and in the railing, likewise, are
gates, but these are unornamented. Within the building
are three concentric colonnades, with columns of the most
beautiful marble, polished, that can be seen, and above is a
low vaulting. Within these again is the central hall over
The Rock; the hall is circular, not octagonal, and is sur-
rounded by columns of polished marble supporting round
arches. Built above these, and rising high into the air, is
the drum in which are large openings ; and over the drum
is the Dome. The Dome, from the floor up to the pinnacle,
which rises into the air, is in height a hundred ells, and
from afar off, you may perceive on the summit of the
Dome, its beautiful pinnacle, the size of which is a fathom
and a span. The Dome, externally, is completely covered
with brass plates, gilt, while the building itself, its floor and.
its walls, and the drum, both within and without, are
ornamented with marble and mosaics, after the manner
that we have already described when speaking of the
mosque of Damascus. The cupola of the Dome is built
in three sections : the inner is of ornamental plates ; next
come iron beams interlaced, set in free so that the wind may
not cause it to shift ; and the third casing is of wood, on
which are fixed the outer plates. Up through the middle
of the cupola goes a passage way, by which a workman
Mujir ad Din (p. 372) states that the Eastern Gate, facing the Dome
of the Chain, was that called the Gate of the Angel of Death Israfil.
It now goes by the name of Gate of the Chain ; and the northern gate
is called Bab al Jannah, Gate of Paradise.
1 Reigned a.h. 295-320 =a.d. 908-932. He was the i8th of the
Abbasides,
46 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
may ascend to the pinnacle for aught that may be wanting,
or in order to repair the structure. At the dawn, when
the h'ght of the sun first strikes on the Cupola, and the
Drum catches the rays ; then is this edifice a marvellous
sight to behold, and one such that in all Islam I have
never seen its equal ; neither have I heard tell of aught
built in pagan times that could rival in grace this Dome
of the Rock.
The mosque 1 is entered through thirteen openings
closed by a score of gates. These are, the Bab
Hittah (the Gate of Pardon or Indulgence),^ the two
Gates of the Prophet,^ the Gates of the Mihrab
Mary am (of Mary's Oratory),* the two Gates Ar Rahmah
(of Mercy),^ the Gate of the Birkat (or Pool of) Bani
Israil,<5 the Gates Al Asbat (of the Tribes),^ the Hashimite
^ It may be well to call attention to the fact that the term ' mosque'
{Masjid) includes not only the main edifice and its courts (here the
Aksa Mosque), but also the whole of the Area (here the Temple Area
or Noble Sanctuary) which is round the mosque and all the buildings
thereunto appertaining.
2 Referring to Koran ii. 55. This Gate is in the Northern Wall of
the Haram Area.
^ According to Mujir ad Din, 'the Gate of the Maghribin' was also
known as *the Gate of the Prophet.' It lies southernmost of those in
the Western Wall of the Haram Area, i.e., near the south-west
corner.
* Perhaps the small gate, near Mary's Oratory, in the Eastern
Wall, called by Mujir ad Din, Bab al Janaiz (of the Funerals), and in
his time closed.
5 The long since closed * Golden Gate ' in the Eastern Wall. The
double gates were those of Mercy (Rahmah) and Repentance (Taubah).
6 This must have opened near the Pool, which the present Bab
Hittah overlooks. The gate next to this last, on the west, is the
present Bab al 'Atm (of the Darkness), more anciently called either
Dawadariyyah (of the Privy Seal), or the Gate of the Glory of the
Prophets ; and it was perhaps, before this again, known as the Gate
of the Pool of the Bani Israel.
At the eastern angle of the North Wall
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 47
Gates,! the Gate of Al Walid,^ the Gate of Ibrahim
/Abraham),^ the Gate of Umm Kh^lid (the Mother of
Khaiid),* and the Gate D^M (of David).^
Of the holy places within (the Haram Area), are the
Mihrab Maryam (the Oratory of Mary), Zakarlyyah (of
Zachariah), Ya'kub (of Jacob), and Al Khidr (of Elias or
St. George), the Station of the Prophet, and of Jibrail
(Gabriel), the Place of the Ant, and of the Fire, and of the
Ka'abah, and also of the Bridge As Sirat, which shall
divide Heaven and Hell.
On the north side (of the court of the Aksa Mosque)^
there are no colonnades. The main building of the
mosque does not extend to the eastern wall of the area,
the constructions here, as it is said, never having been
completed. Of the reason for this, they give two accounts.
The one is that the Khalif Omar commanded the people
\ % * These three gates I am unable exactly to identify, but they must
have opened in the Western Wall of the Haram Area. At the present
day, besides those already mentioned, there are ; Bab as Sarai (of the
Palace) ; Bab an Nathir (of the Inspector), more anciently called of
Mikail (the Angel Michael) ; Bab al Hadid (of Iron) ; Bdb al Kattanin
(of the Cotton Bazaar) ; Bab al Mutawadda or Matarah (of the Place
of Ablutions or of Rain) ; and between these five must lie the choice
for the three that I am unable to identify.
^ The northernmost in the West Wall. At present it is known as
the Bab al Ghawanimah (of the Ghanim tribe), and more anciently
Bab al Khalil (of the Friend i.e. Abraham).
^ The present Bab as Silsilah, in the Western Wall. The foregoing
identifications rest on the materials supplied by Mujir ad Din oJ>. cit.^
pp. 380 to 384. •
« The words used are ^ald-l-maisarah^ literally <?;/ the left hand, also
avith the meaning on the norih^ for the right hcvid^ al yaman^ is south.
I conclude from the context that Mukaddasi here refers to the
northern side of the Court of the Aksa Mosque, which is not divided
from the great Haram Area by any enclosing wall or colonnade. It
may, however, have reference to the northern wall of the whole Haram
Area, but the statement must then be taken as standing alone and as
having no reference to what comes after. ,
48 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
to erect a building * in the Western part of the area, as a
place of prayer for Muslims ;' so they left this space
(which is on the eastern side) unoccupied, in order not to
go counter to his injunction. The other reason given is
that it was not found possible to extend the main building
of the mosque as far as the south-east angle of the area
wall, lest the Mihrab (the Niche facing Makkah), in the
centre place at the end of the mosque should not have
been opposite The Rock under the Dome, and such a
case was repugnant to them. But Allah alone knows the
truth.
The dimensions of the Sanctuary Area are, length
1,000 ells — of the royal Hashimite ells ;i and width, 700.
In the ceilings of its various edifices there are 4,000
wooden beams, supported on 700 marble columns ; and the
roofs are overlaid with 45,000 sheets of lead. The mea-
surement of The Rock itself is, 33 ells by 27, and the
cavern which lies beneath will hold 69 persons. Its en-
dowment provides monthly for 100 Kists^ of olive
oil, and in the year they use 800,000 ells of matting.
The mosque is served by special attendants; their ser-
vice was instituted by the Khalif 'Abd al Malik,^ the
men being chosen from among the Royal Fifth of the
Captives taken in War, and hence they are called Al
Akhmas (the Quintans). None besides these are em-
ployed in the service, and they take their watch in turn
beside The Rock.
SULWAN (Siloam) is a place on the outskirts of the
1 The royal ell {Dhira'' Maliki) measured about 18 inches in length.
This gives us 1500 feet by 1050. Roughly taken, the present dimen-
sions of the Haram Area are 1 500 feet by 900.
2 The Kist was half a Sa', i.e. about a quart and a hah^ of our mea-
sure. The name came from the Greek Hs(;r?jj, which represents the
Roman Sextarius.
« A.H. 65-86 = A.D. 685-705.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 49
City. Below the village is the *Ain Sulwan (Pool or Springy
of Siloam),^ of fairly good water, which irrigates the large
gardens which were given in bequest (Wakf ) by the Khalif
■*Othman ibn 'Afifan for the poor of the city. Lower down
than this, again, is ^ Job's Well (Bir Ayyub). It is said
that on the Night of 'Arafat^ the water of the holy well
Zamzam, at Makkah, comes underground to the water
of the Pool. The people hold a festival here on that
•evening.
WADt Jahannam (Valley of Kedron) runs from the
angle of the Sanctuary Area to its furthest point, all along
the east side.* In this valley are gardens and vineyards,
churches, caverns and chapels, tombs, and other remark-
able spots, also cultivated fields. In its midst stands the
church which covers the sepulchre of Mary ,5 and above,
overlooking the valley, are many tombs, among which are
* The Pool of Siloam (see S. of W. P. * Jerusalem,' p. 345) is not
properly speaking a spring, but a tank fed by the aqueduct from the
Virgin's Fount (called also 'Ain Umm ad Daraj, the Fountain of the
:Steps), and having an intermittent supply consequent on the inter-
mittent flow of the upper spring.
It was on the wall of the tunnel connecting the Pool of Siloam
with the Virgin's Fount that, in 1880, the now celebrated Siloam
Inscription was accidentally discovered by a party of Jewish schoolboys.
2 Job's Well, which the Christians since the i6th century have been
•in the habit of calling the Well of Nehemiah, may be En Rogel— the
•Fuller's Spring— mentioned by Joshua (xv. 7) as on the boundary line
between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin ; unless this last be the
Virgin's Fount.
* The 9th of the month Dhu-1-Hijjah. It is the day of the great
pilgrimage on 'Arafat — near Makkah.
* It is worthy of remark that the Valley of Hinnon (Gehenna,
Jahannam) is the name of the deep gorge to the wesf and south-iuest
• of the city. Mukaddasi's Valley of Jahannum, however, would be
the Valleys of Jehoshaphat and the Kedron together, the modern
Widi Sitteh Maryam.
° The Tomb of the Virgin lies outside the Gate of St. Stephen, oa
Tthe opposite slope of the Kedron Valley. See Badeker, p. 214.
4
50 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
those of Shaddad ibn Aus ibn Thabit^ and 'Ubadah ibri as
Samlt.2
JABAL ZaitA (the Mount of Olives) overlooks the
Great Mosque from the eastern side of the Valley (of
Kedron). On its summit is a mosque built in memory
of 'Omar, who sojourned here some days when he came
to receive the capitulation of the Holy City. There is also
here a church built on the spot whence Christ ascended into
Heaven ; and further, near by is the place called As Sahirah
(the Plain),^ which, as I have been informed on the
authority of Ibn 'Abbas, will be the scene of the Resurrec-
tion. The ground is white, and blood has never been spilt
here.
Bait Lahm (Bethlehem) is a village about a league
away, in the direction of Hebron. Jesus was born here ;
and there grew up here the Palm-tree,* for although in this
district palms are never found, this one grew by a miracle..
There is also a church, the equal of which does not exist
anywhere in the country round.^
HabrA (Hebron), the village of Abraham the Friend of
God. Within it is a strong fortress, which, it is said, is of
the building of the Jinns, being of great squared stones.
In the middle of this place rises the Dofne built, since the
^ A celebrated Companion of the Prophet, who died a.h. 41 or 58,
A.D. 661 or 678. His tomb was much visited by pilgrims. (See
Mujir ad Din, p. 233.)
2 He was the first Muslim Kidi (Judge) of Jerusalem, having been
appointed by Omar. He died A.l-i. 34, a.d. 654. (See Mujir ad Din,
P- ^33)'
^ As Sahirah (the Plain) is possibly that from which the Bab as
Sahirah (Herod's Gate) in the north wall takes its name. The Plain,
As Sahirah, of the Resurrection, however, is on the Mount of Olives,
across the Kedron Valley.
^ Referred to in the Koran xix. 7.9.
^ The Basilica of Constantine, for a plan of this remarkable church
and description, see S. of W. P., Memoirs, iii., p. 84.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 5t
times of Islam, of stone, which covers the sepulchre of
Abraham. The tomb of Isaac lies forward, within the
main building of the mosque, while that of Jacob is in the
further part. Near by each one of the Prophets lies his
wife. The garden round has become the mosque-court, and
built about it are rest-houses for the Pilgrims, which thus
adjoin the Sanctuary. Thither also has been conducted a
small water-channel. All the country round Hebron, for
the distance of half a stage, is filled with villages, and vine-
yards, and grounds bearing grapes and apples, and it is even
as though it were all but a single orchard of vines and fruit-
trees. The district goes by the name of Jabal Nusrah.i Its
equal for beauty does not exist elsewhere, nor can any fruits
be finer. A great part of them are sent away to Egypt
and into all the country round. At times, here, apples of
good quality will sell at a thousand for the Dirham;^ and
the weight of a single apple, occasionally, will attain to the
equivalent of a hundred Dirhams.^ In the Sanctuary at
Hebron is a public guest-house, with a kitchener, a baker,
and servants appointed thereto. These present a dish of
lentils and olive oil to every poor person who arrives, and
it is even set before the rich if perchance they desire to
partake of it. Most men erroneously imagine that this
dole is of the original Guest-house of Abraham, but in
truth the funds come from the bequests of Tamim
ad Dari* and others. It so being, in my opinion it
were, perhaps, better to abstain from receiving these alms
(lest the money have been unlawfully obtained). Also
there was once an Amir of Khurasan — may Allah have
^ The reading oi this word is uncertain. Other authorities make no
mention oi this name Ok the district, and it does not occur in the
accounts oi modern travellers. The name may signify *the well-
v/atered hills.'
- Tenpence. ^ Between ten and eleven ounces.
* One of the Prophet's Companions. He died in a.h. 4o=a.d. 66a
4-2
52 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
confirmed his dominion — who assigned to this charity
1,000 dirhams yearly ; and further, Al 'Adil, the Shar, the
Ruler of Ghurjistan, gave great bequests to this house.
At the present day, in all Islam, I know of no charity or
almsgiving that is better regulated than is this one ; for
those who travel and are hungry may eat here of good
food, and thus is the custom of Abraham continued, for he,
during his lifetime, rejoiced in the giving of hospitality,
and, after his death, Allah — may He be exalted — has
allowed of the custom becoming perpetuated ; and thus I
myself, in my experiences, have been partaker of the
hospitality of the Friend of God.
A league distant from Hebron is a small mountain,
which overlooks the Lake of Sughar (the Dead Sea) and
the site of the Cities of Lot. Here stands a mosque built
by Abu Bakr as^Sabahi, called Al Masjid Al Yakin.i In this
mosque is seen the bedstead of Abraham, which is now
sunk about an ell into the earth. It is related that when
Abraham first saw from here, afar off, the Cities of Lot, he
stood as one rooted, saying, ' Verily I now bear witness, for
the word of the Lord is The Truth.' (Al Yakiit)
The territory of the Holy City is counted as all the
country that lies round within a radius of forty miles,
including Jerusalem with its dependent villages. For
twelve miles the frontier follows the shore (of the Dead
Sea) over against Sughar and Maab ; then for five miles it
lies through the desert, and into the districts towards the
south, even to the country that lies beyond Al Kusaifah *
and the land that is over against it. On the north the
frontier reaches to the limits of Nablus. This, then, is the
^ Now known as Khurbat Yakin and Makam Nabi Yakin, see
S. of W. P., Memoirs, iii., p. 371. The * Bedstead of Abraham' is at
the present day known as * Cain's Grave.' The mosque is said by
Ulaimi, to have been built in A.H. 352, A.D. 963.
* The present Tell Kuseifeh, lying to the east of Beersheba.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 53
Land which Allah — may He be exalted — has called
* Blessed';^ it is a country where, on the hills are trees, and
in the plains, fields that need neither irrigation nor the
watering of rivers, even as the Two Men (Caleb and
Joshua) reported to Moses the son of 'Amran, saying, ' We
came on a land flowing with milk and honey/ I myself at
times in Jerusalem have seen cheese sell at a sixth of a
Dirham for the Rail, and sugar at a Dirham the Rati ;
and for that same sum you could obtain either a Rati and
a half of olive oil or four Ratls of raisins.^
Bait Jibril^ is a city partly in the hill country, partly
in the plain. Its territory has the name of Ad Darum,* and
there are here marble quarries. The district sends its produce
to the capital, which is thus the emporium for the neigh-
bouring country. It is a land of riches and plenty, possess-
ing fine domains. The population, however, is now on the
decrease, and impotence has possession of many of its men.
GllAZZAH (Gaza.) — A large town lying on the high road
into Egypt, on the border of the desert. The city stands
not far from the sea. There is here a beautiful mosque;
also will be seen the monument of the Khalif Omar;
further, this city was the birth place of (the great Tradition-
ist) Ash-Shafi'i,^ and possesses the tomb of Hashim ibn
'Abd Manaf (the great grandfather of the Prophet).
' Koran xxi. 71.
2 Taking the Dirhem at ten pence and the Rati at 6 lbs. ; we have,
calculating roughly, cheese at jd. a pound ; sugar at ir^d. a pound;
olive oil at about a shilling a gallon, and raisins at the rate of 2^ lbs.
for a penny.
* Now Bait Jibrin, meaning the ' House of Gabriel,' as in fact the
place is called by William of Tyre, the Crusading Historian. In
Greek times it was named Eleutheropolis (see S. of W. P., Mems., iii.,
p. 257), and it is the Beth Gubrin of the Talmud. The Franks some-
times called this town Gibelin.
■* At the present day Deiran, anciently Daroma.
* See below, p. 67, n. 6.
54 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Mimas lies on the sea.^ It is a small fortified town, and
belongs to Ghazzah.
'ASKALAN (Ascalon), is on the sea. A fine city, and
strongly garrisoned. Fruit is here in plenty, especially
that of the Sycamore-tree,- of which all are free to
eat. The great mosque stands in the market of the
Clothes-merchants, and is paved throughout with marble.
The city is spacious, opulent, healthy, and well fortified.
The silkworms of this place are renowned, its wares are
excellent, and life there is pleasant. Also its markets are
thronged, and its garrison alert. Only its harbour is un-
safe, its waters brackish, and the sand-fly called 'Dalam"*
is most hurtful.^
" Yafah (Jaffa), lying on the sea, is but a small town,
although the emporium of Palestine and the port of
Ar Ramlah. It is protected by an impregnable fortress,
with iron gates ; and the sea-gates also are of iron. The
mosque is pleasant to the eye, and overlooks the sea. The
harbour is excellent.
Arsuf* is smaller than Yafah, but is strongly fortified
and populous. There is here a beautiful pulpit, made in
the first instance for the mosque of Ar Ramlah, but, which
being found too small, was given to Arsuf.
1 Mimas or Maimas, is the 'Majuma of Gaza' mentioned by Anto-
ninus MartjT, (see Palestine Pilgrims' Text No. i, p. 26), and by Greek
Geographers, called Maiov/j.a. Ouatremere (Sultans Mamlouks II.
partie, p. 229), says that the name is apparently of Egyptian origin,
and comes from the two words Ma and Jam meaning ' maritime town.'
Both Ascalon and Gaza had ports called AIaiu7na, and Jamnia likewise,
according to Pliny.
^ In Arabic Al Jiimmaiz^ the Jicus sycomorus.
• The Dalam-fly is still one of the pests of the coast country of Syria.
* For the plan of Arsuf and its ruins, see S. of W. P., Memoirs, ii.,
p. 136. Arsuf was in Greek times called ApoUonia. By Crusaders it
tvas erroneously supposed to represent the ancient Antipatris (see
p. 60, n. i).
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 55
KaisaRIYYAII (Caesarea of Palestine).! On the coast of
the Greek (or Mediterranean) Sea : there is no city more
beautiful, nor any better filled with good things : plenty
has its well-spring here, and useful products are on every
hand. Its lands are excellent, and its fruits delicious ;
the town also is famous for its buffalo-milk and its white
bread. To guard the city there is an impregnable fortress,
and without lies the well-populated suburb which the
fort protects. The drinking-water of the inhabitants
is drawn from wells and cisterns. Its Great Mosque is very
beautiful.
Nabulus (Neapolis, Shechem) lies among the moun-
tains. It abounds in olive-trees, and they even name it the
* Little Damascus.' The town, situated in the valley, is
shut in on either hand by the two mountains.^ Its market-
place extends from gate to gate, and a second goes to the
centre of the town. The Great Mosque is in its midst, and
is very finely paved. The city has through it a stream of
running water ; its houses are built of stone, and some
remarkable mills are to be seen here.
ArIhA (Jericho). — This is the City of the Giants, and
therein is the Gate of which Allah spake unto the Children
of Israel.^ There grows in these parts much indigo and
many palms, and the city possesses villages in the Ghaur
(of the Jordan), whose fields are watered from the springs.
The heat in Jericho is excessive. Snakes and scorpions
are numerous, also fleas abound. The serpents called
1 For plans of the ancient remains at Ceesarea, see S. of W. P.,
Memoirs, ii., p. 15 et seq.
- The two mountains shutting in Shechem are to the south, Mount
Gerizim ('the Mountain of Blessing') and Mount Ebal, to the north
(' the Mountain of Cursing ').
"^ Koran v. 25 : ' Enter ye upon them (the people of Jericho) by
the Gate of the City, and when ye shall have entered by the same, ye
shall surely be victorious.'
56 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
* Tariyakiyyah '^ come from hence, from the flesh of which,
used therein, depends the excellence of the Tariyak
(Theriack, or Antidote) of Jerusalem. The people are
brown skinned and swarthy. On the other hand, the water
of Jericho is held to be the lightest (and best) in all
Islam; bananas are plentiful, also dates and flowers of
fragrant odour.
'Amman,2 lying on the border of the Desert, has round
it many villages and cornfields. The Balka District, of
which it is the capital, is rich in grain and flocks ; also
many streams the waters of which work the mills. In the
city, near the market-place, stands a fine mosque, the court
of which is ornamented with mosaic. We have heard said
that it resembles that of Makkah. The Castle of Goliath
is on the hilF overhanging the city, and therein is the
Tomb of Uriah, over which is built a mosque. Here, like-
wise, is the Circus of Solomon.* Living here is cheap, and
fruit is plentiful. On the other hand, the people of the
place are illiterate, and the roads thither wretched. But
the city is even as a harbour of the Desert, and a place of
refuge for the bcdavvin Arab.
In the village of AR Rakim, which lies about a league
distant from 'Amman,^ and on the border of the Desert, is a
* See below, p. 70, n. 5.
^ The Biblical Rabbath Ammon, the capital of Og king of the Am-
monites. In Greek times it was called Philadelphia, after Ptolemy
Philadelphus of Egypt, its second founder.
^ The citadel on the hill to the north of the town.
* The Theatre, it was originally capable of seating 6,oco spectators.
^ Ar Rakim is often identified with Petra or Wadi Musa, near Mount
Hor, on the hypothesis that the name represents the ' Arekem ' of
Josephus (' Antiq.' iv. 4, 7, and iv. 7, i). This identification, however,,
which originated with A. Schuiteus, in the last century (see in his
*Vita Saladini,' Index Geographicus, s.v. Errakimum), and has been
constantly copied by writers up to the present day, was very justly-
shown to be impossible by Robinson (ii. p. 653}. Oxx: author here
ISLLUDING PALESTINE, 57
cavern with two entrances — one large, one small — and they
say that he who enters by the larger is unable to leave by
the smaller unless he have with him a guide. In the cave
are three tombs, concerning which Abu-1 Fadl Muhammad
ibn MansCir related to me the following Tradition of the
Prophet ; and his authority was Abu Bakr ibn Sa'id, who
held it of Al Fadl ibn Hammad, the same having the
authority of Ibn Abi Maryam, who related it as coming
from Ism^'il ibn Ibrahim ibn 'Ukbah, who held it of Nafi',
who said that 'Abd Allah, the son of the Khalif Omar, was
wont to relate the story, he himself having heard it from
the mouth of the Prophet — the grace of Allah be upon
him and His peace ! Thus he spoke : — * While three men
once were walking together heavy rain overtook them and
drove them into a cavern of the mountain. And on a
sudden there fell, from the mountain above, a rock which
blocked up the mouth of the cave, and behold they were
shut in. Then one of them called to the others, saying,
" Now, mind ye of such good deeds as ye have done, and
call on Allah thereby, beseeching Him, so that for the sake
thereof perchance He may cleave this rock before us."
Then one of them cried aloud, saying, " Allah ! of a truth
have not I my two parents who are old and feeble, besides
my children, of whom I am the sole protector? And when
I return to them, I do milk the kine, and give first of the
milk to my two parents, even before giving of it to my
children. Now on a certain day, after the morning was
long past, and I came not to them until it was night, I
found my parents slumbering. Then I milked the kine,
as was my wont, and I brought of the milk and came and
confirms this by placing Ar Rakim three miles from 'Amman. Further,
Ibn al Athir (Chronicle xi., p. 259 of the Text), states that Ar Rakim
lies two days' march north of Karak, on the road between Damascus
and that fortress.
58 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
stood near by unto them, but feared awaking them from
their sleep ; and further, I dared not give of it to the
children before the setting of it before them, although the
children, in truth, were in distress for want thereof And
thus I remained waiting till the breaking of the dawn.
Now, since Thou knowest well how I did this thing from
fear of Thy face, so therefore now cause this rock to cleave
before us, that through the same we may p6rceive the
sky." Then Allah caused a cleft to split in the rock, and
through it they perceived the sky. Then the second one
cried aloud, and said, " Allah ! was there not the daughter
of my uncle, whom I loved passionately, as only man can
love ? And when I sought to possess her, she would refuse
herself to me saying, that I should bring her a hundred
pieces of gold. Then I made effort, and collected those
hundred pieces, bringing them to hen But even as I was
entering to possess her, she cried aloud, and said, * O
servant of Allah, fear Him ! and force me not, except in
lawfulness.' So I went from her. And now, verily, as
Thou knowest that I did even this from the fear of Thy
face, so therefore cleave unto us again a portion of this
rock." And Allah did cleave thereof a further cleft. Then
the last man cried aloud, and said, "Allah ! did I not hire a
serving man for the customary portion of rice. And when
his task was accomplished, he said to me, ' Now give to me
my due.' And I gave to him his due ; but he would not
receive it, and despised it. Then I ceased not to use the
same for sowing till, of profit, I became possessed, of cattle,
and of a neat-herd slave. And after long time he came
to me and said, ' Fear Allah ! and oppress me not ; but
give to me my due.' And I, answering him, said, ' Go
thou, then, to these cattle and their herdsmen and receive
them.' Said he again, * Fear Allah ! and mock me not.'
And I answered him, * Verily I mock thee not, and do
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 59
thou take these cattle and their herdsmen/ And at last he,
taking them, went his way. And now, since Thou knowest
how I did this thing in fear of Thy face, do Thou cause
what of this rock remaineth to be cleft before us." Then
Allah caused the whole of it to become cleft before them.'
In the Province of Syria there are many large villages,
having each of them their own mosques ; and the same are
more populous and opulent than are many of the celebrated
cities of the Arabian Peninsula. As such they deserve
mention ; and again, since these large villages neither
attain to the renown of powerful cities that are known of
all men, nor, on the other hand, are of the insignificance of
mere hamlets — lying in their degree, as it w^ere, between
the two — so is it the more incumbent on us to make
special mention of their nam.es, and describe their posi-
tions. Among such are the following :
LUDD (Lydda), which lies about a mile from Ar Ramlah.
There is here a Great Mosque, in which are wont to assemble
great numbers of the people from the capital (Ar Ramlah),
and from the villages round. In Lydda, too, is that
wonderful Church, at the gate of which Christ will slay the
Antichrist.^
^ The coming of the Antichrist, Ad Dajjal, is to be one of the Great
Signs of the Day of Resurrection. According to the Traditions of the
Prophet, Ad Dajjal will first appear in either Upper Mesopotamia or
Khurasan. He will ride on an ass, and be followed by 70,000 Jews of
Ispahan. He will reign during forty years on the earth, and will ulti-
mately be slain by the Christ, who will meet him at the Gate of Lydda.
This tradition is doubtless due to a distorted version of the Story of
St. George and the Dragon. The Church of St. George is that men-
tioned by our author, the ruins of which still remain. For an illustra-
tion of these see * S. of W. P. Memoirs,' ii., p. 267 ; and for some
notes by M. Clermont Ganneau, on the Muslim Ad Dajjal, as the
representative of the Dragon of St. George, see an extract from his
writings on p. 138 of the same volume.
6o DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Kafar-Saba.^ — A large place with a mosque, lying on
the high road (from Ar Ramlah) to Damascus.
'Akir (Ekron).2 — A large village, possessing a fine mosque.
Its inhabitants are much given to good works. The bread
here is not to be surpassed for quality. The village lies on
the high road (from Ar Ramlah) to Makkah.
YubnA, with its beautiful mosque.-^ From this place
come the excellent figs known as * the Damascene/
'AmwAs.^ — It is said that this place was in ancient days
the capital of the province, but that the population removed
therefrom, going nearer to the sea, and more into the plain^
on account of the wells ; for the village lies on the skirt of
the hill-country.
Kafar-SallAm.5 — One of the villages of the district of
^ Kafar Saba is the Antipatris of Acts xxiii. 31, and Joscphus. For
the proofs of this identification see * S. of W. P. Memoirs,' ii., p. 258-
The Crusaders (William of Tyre), after their usual fashion, wrongly
identified this last with Arsuf.
^ Of Joshua xiii. 3.
8 Yubna represents the Biblical Jabneh, or Jabneel. Its Greek
name was Jamnia.
* 'Amwas is the famous Emmaus Nicopolis. As to the question
whether or not it may be identified with the Emmaus of the New
Testament, which is more than doubtful, see ' S. of W. P. Memoirs,' iii.,
p. 66 e^ seq.
^ The town of Kafar Sallam has completely disappeared from the
maps, although from what is said by the Arab geographers, its position
may be determined within very narrow limits, and the P. E. F. map
leaves nothing to be desired in point of detail for all the ruins remaining
in this part of the country. Yakut states that Kafar Sallam is four
farsakhs (leagues) from Kaisariyyah, on the road to Nabulus. Al
Mukaddasi places it (see below, pp. 96, 98) one march from Nabulus^
one from Kaisariyyah, and one from Ar Ramlah. Hence it cannot
have been far from Kafar Saba, with which place it is often confounded
(as, for instance, by Nasir Khusrau, who visited Syria in a.h. 428,.
A.D. 1037), but its direction from this last 1 have been unable to
determine. Nasir Khusrau mentions incidentally that it (Kafar
Sallam or Kafar Saba) is three farsakhs (leagues) from Ar Ramlah.
According to the Chronicle of Marianus Scottus, in 1064 A.D.
INCLUDING PALESTINE, 6i
Ccesarea. It is very populous, and has a mosque. It lies
on the high road (from Ar Ramlah northwards).
All along the sea-coast of the Province of Syria are the
Watch-stations (Ribat), where the levies assemble. The
war-ships and the galleys of the Greeks also come into
these ports, bringing aboard of them the captives taken
from the Muslims ; these they offer for ransom — three for
the hundred Dinars.^ And in each of these ports there are
men who know the Greek tongue, for they have missions to
the Greeks, and trade with them in divers wares. At the
Stations, whenever a Greek vessel appears, they sound the
horns ; also if it be night they light a beacon there, on the
tower, or, if it be day, they make a great smoke. From
every Watch-station on the coast up to the capital (Ar
Ramlah) are built, at intervals, high towers, in each of which
is stationed a company of men. On the occasion of the
arrival of the Greek ships the men, perceiving them, kindle the
beacon on the tower nearest to the coast Station, and then
on that lying next above it, and then on, one after another ;
so that hardly is an hour elapsed before the trumpets are
sounding in the capital, and drums are beating in the
towers, calling the people down to their Watch-station by
th^ sea ; and they hurry out in force, with their arms, and
the young men of the villages gather together. Then the
ransoming begins. One prisoner will be given in ex-
Siegfried, Archbishop of Mainz, who, together with the Bishops of
Utrecht, Bamberg, and Ratisbon, was conducting a great company of
pilgrims to the Holy City, was set upon in these parts by the wild
Arabs, and took refuge in a ' castellutn vacuum Cavar Salim nomine,'
from whence they were delivered by the Governor of Ramlah. The
whole passage is given in the original Latin in a note (p. 63) to Mons.
Schefer's * Translation of Nasir Khusrau.' Mons. Schefer supposes
•Cavar Salim to be Kafar Sallam, which, he adds, was abandoned by
its inhabitants in the eleventh century.
^ That is about ;^ 16 for each captive.
62 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
change for another, or money and jewels will be offered ;
until at length all the prisoners who are in the Greek ships
have been set free. And the Watch-stations of this
province where this ransoming of captives takes place are :
Ghazzah, Mimas, 'Askalan, Mahuz- (the Port of) Azdud,"
^Mahiiz- (the Port of) Yubna, Yafah and Arsuf
SUGHAR.2 — ji-^e people of the two neighbouring districts
call the town Sakar (that is, ' Hell ') ; and a native of Jeru-
salem was wont to write from here to his friends, addressing
* From the lower Sakar (Hell) unto those in the upper Firdils
(Paradise).* And verily this is a country that is deadly to
the stranger, for its water is execrable ; and he who should
find that the Angel of Death delays for him, let him come
here, for in all Islam I know not of any place to equal it in
evil climate. I have seen other lands that were stricken by
the plague, but none so badly as this, not even the land of
Jurjan. Its people are black-skinned and thick-set. Itswaters
are hot, even as though the place stood over Hell-fire. On
the other hand, its commercial prosperity makes of it a
little Busrah, and its trade is very lucrative. The town
^ Mahuz is often used as synonymous with Maiuma or Maimas.
The word signifies in Aramaic ' port ' or ' city ;' it is a common appel-
lative, and there was a Mahuz Malka, near Seleucia. ,;
2 Sughar' (spelt also Zughar and Sukar) is the Segor of the Crusad-
ing Chronicles, situated at the souther7t end of the Dead Sea. Whether
or not it occupies the site of the Zoar of Lot is a point on which
certainty is hardly to be obtained after the lapse of so many centuries,,
when we consider the extreme paucity and obscurity of the topographical
indications afforded by the Book of Genesis. What St. Jerome and
other Church authorities wrote on this subject, too, is not worthy of
much attention, for such documents as they had before them, we have
also. A discussion of the subject from the light afforded by the Arab
geographers will be found in * Across Jordan,' p. 317 et seq., and on the
origin of the name a most noteworthy communication may be read
in a paper by Mons. Clermont Ganneau, translated in the January
number of the 'Quarterly Statement' of the P. E. F., 1886, 'Segor,
Gomorrah and Sodom.'
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 63
stands on the shore of the Overwhelming Lake (the Dead
Sea), and is in truth the remnant of the Cities of Lot,
being the one that was spared by reason that its inhabitants
knew nothing of their abominations. The mountains rise
up near by the town.
Al GiiAMR.i — There is water here and a palm grove ;
all round it lies a sand waste, but when you dig there
gushes forth sweet water in plenty.
Maab^ lies in the mountains. The district round has
many villages, where grow almond trees and vines. It
borders on the desert.
MtiTAll is counted among its hamlets, where are the
tombs of Ja'far at Tayyar (the Flyer), and 'Abd Allah ibn
Rawahah.^
Adhruh* is a frontier town between the Hijjaz and
Syria. They preserve here the Prophet's Mantle and also
a treaty given by him and written on skin.
Wailah^ stands on an arm of the China Sea (which is the
^ This paragraph is inserted from another section of Mukaddasfs
work (p. 253 of the Text). In Ghamr, Mons. Clermont Ganneau would
recognise the name of Gomorrah. It is marked 'Ain Ghamr in the maps.
2 Maab, spoken of by Abu-1 F'ldX under the name of Rabbah, is the
ancient Ar, or Rabbath Moab, Areopolis, at the present day known
as Kabbah, four hours north of Kerak.
^ Ja'afar at Tayyar was the brother of 'All, the Prophet's cousin and
son-in-law. In the year of the Hijrah 8 (a.d. 629, Sept.), the Muslims
near Mutah had their first encounter with the soldiers of the Byzantine
Emperor. The Arabs were under the command of Zaid, the Prophet's
Freedman ; they were put completely to the rout, and Zaid, Ja'afar the
Flyer, and 'Abd Allah ibn Rawahah, who was the second in command,
were slain on the field of battle.
^ Called ' Adru ' by Ptolemy. Mr. C. Doughty visited the ruins of
the ancient city during his recent journey to Madain Salih ; he informs
me that they lie about eleven miles north of Ma'an. Adhruh is gene-
rally given as the capital of the Province of Ash Sharah (Edom).
^ Wailah or Ailah is the Biblical Elath, at the head of the present
Cult of 'Akabah, v/hich received in classical times the name of the
.<^lanitic Gulf from this town. :
64 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Gulf of Akaba). It is a populous and beautiful city, pos-
sessing many palm trees, also fish in plenty. It is the great
port of Palestine and the emporium of the Hijjaz. The
common people call it ' Ailah/ but the true Ailah lies near
by it and is now in ruins. This is the place of which Allah
— may He be exalted — has said -} * Enquire of them con-
cerning the village that was situate on the sea.'
Madyan (Midian).2— This town in reality is within the
borders of the Hijjaz ; for the Arab peninsula includes all
within the line of the sea, and Madyan lies on the coast.
Here may be seen the Rock which Moses struck when he
gave water to the flocks of Shu'aib (Jethro). Water here
is abundant. In this town the weights and measures and
the customs of the inhabitants, are those of Syria. Syria,
the Hijjaz, and Egypt dispute between them as to which
province belongs Wailah — and the like case may be seen as
regards 'Abbadan — but I have included it in Syria without
question, since its weights and measures and the customs
of its people are those of that province. Further, as before
stated, it is the port of Palestine ; the sailors of that part
use the boats called ' Jalabah.' ^
TABt^K is a small town, in which stands the Mosque of
the Prophet — the peace of Allah be on him and His
grace.
TlH,* of the Children of Israel (the Desert of the Wan-
* Koran vii. 163.
^ The position of the ancient city of Madyan (Midian) would appear
to be rather doubtful. It is marked on the accompanying map accord-
ing to Sir F. Burton's view, who identifies it with the modern Makna,
on the coast of the Gulf of Akaba. (Cf. ' Gold Mines of Midian,' 1878,
p. 331.) Spreuger, however, in his * Alte Geographic Arabiens,' puts
it inland, or as an alternative, on the Red Sea coast, south of 'Ainuna.
^ Boats peculiar to the Red Sea. Their planks are held together
by strands of palm fibre.
* This and the following paragraph are from another chapter of our
author's work, p. 209 of the text.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 6$
derings), is a land on the position of which there is much
discussion. The most reh'able account is that it is the
desert country, lying between Syria and Egypt, which
same is forty leagues across in every direction ; everywhere
are sand tracts, salt marshes, and red sandstone hills, while
occasionally palm trees and springs of water may be met
with. The limits of this district are, on the one hand, the
district of Al Jifar, and on the other Mount Sinai ; to the
west the desert limit is conterminous with the Egyptian
province of Ar Rif ; and on the other side the Tih goes up
to Syria. Through it lies the pilgrim road to Makkah.
TtTR SiNA (Mount Sinai) lies not far from the Bahr al
Kulzum (the Red Sea) ; and one goes up to it from a certain
village called Al Amn,^ which same is the place v/here
Moses and the Children of Israel encamped. There are
here twelve springs of fairly sweet water, and thence up to
Sinai is two days' march. The Christians have a monastery
(Dair) in Mount Sinai, and round it are some well-cultivated
fields, and there grow here olive trees, said to be those
mentioned by Allah in the Kuran (chap, xxiv., ver. 35),
where it is written concerning that ' blessed tree, an olive
neither of the East nor of the West.' And the olives from
these trees are sent as presents to kings.
ACCOUNT OF THE GENERAL FEATURES AND
PECULIARITIES OF THIS PROVINCE.
The climate of Syria is temperate, except in that portion
which lies in the centre region of the province, between
Ash Sharah (Mount Seir) and Al Hulah (the Waters of
^ The reading of this name in the MSS. has, without doubt, been
corrupted. We have here most probably the traditional Arab tran-
scription of the name of the place called Elim, in Exodus xv. 27,
where the Israelites encamped before coming ' into the Wilderness of
Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai.' At Elim there * were twelve
wells of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees,* ^
s
t6 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Merom) ; and this is the hot country where grow the
indigo tree, the banana, and the palm. One day when I
was staying in Jericho, the physician Ghassan said to me,
• Seest thou this valley ?' (that is, the Ghaur). * Yes,' I
answered. And he continued : * It extends from hence as
far as the Hijjaz, and thence through Al Yamamah to 'Oman
and Hajar ; thence passing up by Basrah and Baghdad
towards the left (west) of Mosul, it reaches to Ar Rakkah,
and it is always a Wady of heat and of palm trees.'
The coldest place in Syria is Ba'albakk and the country
round ; for among the sayings of the people it is related how,
when men asked of the Cold, * Where shall we find thee ?'
it was answered, * In the Balka ;' and when they further
said, ' But if we meet thee not there ?' then the Cold added,
* Verily in Ba'albakk is my home.'
Now Syria is a land of blessing, a country of cheapness,
abounding in fruits, and peopled by holy men. The upper
province, which is near the dominions of the Greeks, is rich
in streams and crops, and the climate of it is cold. And
the lower province is even more excellent, and it is plea-
santer, by reason of the lusciousness of its fruits and in the
great number of its palm trees. But in the whole country
there is no river carrying boats, except only for the ferry.
Doctors of the law are rare to meet with in Syria; but
non-Muslims who pay the poll-tax are numerous, and so
too are lepers. The preachers are held in no kind of con-
sideration. Samaritans are found settled in all the country
from Palestine up to the province round Tiberias ; but you
will meet with neither Magians nor Sabaeans.
In regard to religious belief, the people of Syria are, for
the most part, orthodox, being of those who hold by
Authorit}^ and Tradition. The people of Tiberias, however,
with half the population in Nabulus and Kadas, and the
greater number of the men of 'Amman, are Shi'ahs. The
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 67
Mu'tazalites^ here, if any there be, keep themselves con-
cealed. There is a community of the Karramites^ at Jerusa-
lem, who possess a cloister and a house of assembly. These
latter are a sect who make great pretensions in matters of
theology, jurisprudence, and piety ; but among themselves
they dispute greatly, and in their reading of the Kur'an
they adopt the most literal interpretation. Of those who
follow the law-schools of Malik ^ and Daild'* none are to be
met with in Syria. The disciples of Al Auza'i^ hold their
place of assembly in the mosque of Damascus, in external
practices of religion, only, do they keep to the rule of the
orthodox traditionists. The jurisprudists are for the most
part followers of Ash Shafi'i,*^ although in not a few of the
great towns and districts the disciples of Abu Hanifah are
to be met with, and often the Kadis (or Judges) are of this
school. If it be asked of me : — Why do you not merely
^ The Separatists or Freethinkers.
^ A sect who insisted on the anthropomorphic attributes of the
Deity. In his introductory chapter, our author writes, 'Al Khankah
is the name of the cloister where the Karramite Sect hold their
meetings for prayer in Jerusalem.'
^ Malik ibn Anas, the great jurisprudist doctor of Al Madinah.
He flourished in the second century of the Hijrah, and founded the
Historical School of Tradition.
"^ Daud ibn 'AH died in A.H. 27o = A.D. 884. He was of Persian
origin, and settled at Bagdad. He insisted that the words of the
Kuran, the Traditions, and the Sunnah, should be accepted literally.
5 A Syrian by birth (died in 157 A.H. = A.D. 774), who taught in
Damascus and Bairut, near which latter place his tomb is still shown.
Of his tenets little is known. He is said to have solved 70,000 legal
questions. For his life see Ibn Khallikan's 'Biographical Dictionary,'
translated by M. de Slane, ii., p. 84.
^ Ash Shafi'i, who \vas born in Palestine (A.H. I95 = A.D. 810), but
taught in Baghdad, was the founder of the Eclectic School of Juris-
prudence. His system attempted the fusion of the Historical School
•of Malik (see above), with the speculative and more philosophical
teaching of the great Traditionist Abu Hanifah, who died in A.H. 150
= A.D. 767.
68 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
say : that the external practices of religion are carried out
after the rule of Ash Shafi'i, and that the leading doctors
there are all of his school ? I answer : — That this is the
word of one who cannot observe a distinction ; for, of the
Sh^fi'ite ritual, is the reciting aloud of the ' Bismillah ' and
the repetition at the Dawn-prayer of the text called *Kanut'^
(which is, the prayer beginning, ' And we verily do resign
ourselves to Thy will '). Now we of Syria, on the contrary,
only make use of this prayer during the days of the latter-
half of the month of Ramadhan, when the genuflexions in
uneven counts are enjoined, — known as the ' Witr.' Verily
on no other occasion do the people of Syria make use of
this ritual, for they in truth have abjured it. And further
Avas it not seen how, when, at* Tiberias, the Governor of
Syria would fain have forced on them this reciting aloud of
the ' Bismillah,' that the people complained against his
tyranny even to Kafur the Ikhshidi,^ and frustrated the
attempt ? At the present day, however, the external prac-
tices of religion are after the ritual of the Fatimites ; and
we shall explain these, please Allah, with other of their
peculiar customs when we come to the chapter on the
countries of the West. The Kur'an Readers of Syria for
the most part follow the school of Abu 'Amr, except only
in Damascus, where no one may act as Leader of Prayer
in the mosque except he read according to the precept of
Ibn 'Amir, his being the best known to the people and
the one preferred by them. The system of reading insti-
tuted by Al Kisai, further, is much in vogue throughout
the province of Syria ; also they make use of the Sevea
Readings and strive to conform thereto.
Commerce.
The trade of Syria is considerable.
^ Governed Egypt between a.h. 355-357 = a.d. 966-968.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 69
From Palestine come olives, dried figs,^ raisins, the carob-
fruit,- stuffs of mixed silk and cotton, soap and kerchiefs.
From Jerusalem come cheeses, cotton, the celebrated
raisins of the species known as 'AinOni and Dfiri,^ excellent
apples, bananas — which same is a fruit of the form of a
cucumber, but the skin peels off and the interior is not
unlike the water-melon, only finer flavoured and more
luscious, — also pine-nuts of the kind called * Kuraish-Bite,'*
and its equal is not to be found elsewhere ; further — mirrors,
lamp-jars, and needles.
From Jericho, excellent indigo.*
From Suo;har and Baisdn come both indigo and dates,
also the treacle called *Dibs.'^
* Called Kuttain, from the Greek Klnravov.
2 The Carob, in Arabic Khirnub, is the Ceratonia Siliqua, the
Locust-tree, or St. John's Bread.
^ The 'Ainuni and Duri raisins are from the grapes grown round the
villages of Bait 'Ainun and Durah, lying respectively to the north and
west of Hebron. The whole of this region is celebrated for its vine-
yards ; and it is curious to recall that this is the locality of the Vale
of Mamre, from whence, in all probability, the Spies, sent by Moses
into the Promised Land, brought back the grapes of Eshcol
(Numbers xiii. 23).
•* Kuraish-Bite (Kadam Kuraish) is given in the dictionaries as the
fruit of the Pinus Picea, and also of the smaller 'Snobur' pine
(Strobili pini), or of the tree called by the Arabs ' Yanbut.' Yanbiit,
however, in the language of the Bedawin across the Jordan, is now
applied to a small shrub, not a tree, with long thin leaves of the size
of knitting-needles, which I believe produces no edible fruit.
5 Called in Arabic An Ml, the Indigofera tinctoria?. The tree
grows to a height of from nine to twelve feet, and its flowers are
cerulean blue in colour. Indigo is known by many other names in
Arabic— viz., Hi7ind ma 'jim, (pounded Henna) ; Kimtr; Al 'lihlim,
the name more particularly of the male plant ; Nilaj ; and lastly
Wasjnah, this more especially being applied to the leaves of the tree
from which the dye itself is extracted. The berries, generally alluded
to as Habb an iV/Y— Indigo-berries, — are also known as Al 'Ajab.
® * Dibs' is boiled-down fruit-syrup. It is often made of dates or
raisins, steeped in their own weight of water, boiled up, and thea
70 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
From \4m7?td7t, grain, lambs ^ and hone3^
From Tiberias, carpet stuffs, paper, and cloth.
From Kadas, clothes of the stuff called * Munayyir ' and
* BaFisiyyah ' 2 and ropes.
From Tyre come sugar, glass beads and glass vessels
both cut and blown.
From Madb, almond kernels.
From Baisdiiy rice.
PVom Damascus come all these : olive oil, fresh pressed,
the * Bal'isiyyah ' cloth, brocade, oil of violets of an inferior
quality, brass vessels, paper, nuts, dried figs and raisins.
From AleppOy cotton, clothes, dried figs, dried herbs and
the red chalk called ' Al Maghrah.'^
Ba^albakk produces the sweetmeat of dried figs called
*Malban.'4
Unequalled is this Land of Syria for its dried figs, its
common olive oil, its white bread, and the Ramlah veils ;
also for the quinces, pine-nuts called ' Kuraish-Bite,' the
'Ainuni and Diiri raisins, the Theriack ^ antidote, the
herb of Mint, and the rosaries of Jerusalem. And further.
allowed to simmer. Finally the mass is set in the sun until all the
water is driven off and a paste-like residue left.
^ I was told in Syria of a fine species of date that was popularly
called ' Khirfan,' or ' Lambs ;' and this is, perhaps, what is meant here.
^ The first is a cloth of double woof, celebrated for its durability,
also made both at Shiraz and Ray (Rhages, near Tehran). In Persia
it was known as 'Daibud.' Of the stuff called Bal'isiyyah, made also
in Damascus, no account is obtainable ; the etymology of the name
is unknown.
* See below, p. 80, n . 3.
* In Hebrew a sweetmeat of fig-paste, pressed into the form of
small bricks, called ' Malben,' is mentioned by Maimonides.
^ The Arabic name * Taryak ' is taken from the Greek 0)j^/axoi>
<papiJ.a'/.ov — 'a drug against venomous bites.' It was generally com-
pounded with treacle, and its other ingredients were of most various
description.
INCLUDING PALESTINE, 7c.
know that within the Province of Palestine may be found
gathered together six-and-thirty products that are not
found thug united in any other land. Of these the first
seven are found in Palestine alone ; the following seven are
very rare in other countries ; and the remaining two-and-
twenty, though only found thus all together in this pro-
vince, are, for the most part, found one and another singly
in other countries. Now the first seven are the pine-nuts
called * Kuraish-Bite/ -the Quince or Cydonian-apple, the
*Ainuni and the Diiri raisins, the Kafuri plum, the fig
called As SaM'i, and the fig of Damascus. The next
seven are the Colocasia or Water Lily,^ the Sycamore,^ the
Carob or St. John's Bread (Locust Tree), the Lotus-fruit
or Jujube,^ the Artichoke,* the Sugar-cane, and the Syrian
apple. And the remaining twenty-two are the fresh dates
and olives, the shaddock,^ the indigo and juniper,*^ the
orange, the mandrake,*" the Nabk fruit,^ the nut, the almond,
the asparagus,^ the banana,^*^ the sumach," the cabbage,^^
the truffle,^^ the lupin,^* and the early prune called 'At Tari;'
also snow, buffalo-milk, the honey-comb, the 'Asimi grape
* Kalkus^ the Arum Colocasia.
* Jummaiz^ the Ficus Sycomorus.
^ 'Unnab, the Zizyphus Sativus.
* 'AkiU, the Silybum Marianum.
^ Utruj\ the Citrus Medica.
* Rdsan^ the Inula Helenium.
' The Liiffah is the fruit of the Mandrake (the Greek
MavS^ayo^aj), the root of which is called the * YabriVi! It is the
Fructus atropse Mandragora^ of botanists. The fruit is edible, but
the root is poisonous.
8 The Nabk is a plum, the fruit of the Sidr tree, the Zizyphus lotus.
* Halyihi^ the Asparagus officinalis.
^" Mates, the Musa paradisiaca.
" Swjwidk, the Rhus Coriaria.
^^ Karanb, or Kttrmtb, the Brassica oleracea.
" Ka7ndh, the Tubera terra}.
^* Tarmas the Lupus Termes (Lupin).
72* DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
and the Tamri- (or date-) fig. Further there is the preserve
called Kubbait ;^ you find in truth the like of it in name
elsewhere, but of a different flavour. The Lettuce^ also,
which everywhere else, except only at Ahwaz, is counted
as a common vegetable, is here a choice dish. However,
at Basrah too it is held as apart from the more common
vegetables.
The Measures and Weights of Syria are these :
Measures of Capacity.
The people of Ar Ramlah (the Capital of Palestine)
make use of the Kafiz, the Waibah, the Makkuk, and the
Kailajah.^
^ The Kubbait (indifferently written Kubbdt and Kitbbud) is a species
of sweetmeat, made with Carob-sugar, almonds, and pistachio nuts.
^ Khass, the Lactua Sativa.
3 The names of the Arab weights and measures are many of them
taken from the Greek or Latin, being those that were in use in the Syrian
provinces of the Byzantine empire at the time of the Muslim invasion.
Thus the Mudi is the Roman corn measure the Modius, generally
rendered by Bushel. The Okiyyah is the Greek Ovyyia, or ounce,
and the Rati (pronounced also Ritl and Rotl) is, by inversion of the
1 and r, the Airpa. (See M. Clermont Ganneau's article in the Revue
Critique of June 28, 1879) Kirat, or, as we spell it, Carat, is from
Kspariov, the fruit of the Keratea, Carob, or Locust tree (in Arabic
Kharub or Kharnub, see above, p. 69, n. 2), known more generally as
St. John's Bread. Among the Arabs, however (according to Sir
R. Burton), for the Kirat, the seed of the 'Abrus precatorius,' was
taken as the original standard. Dinar and Dirham are respectively
from Denarius and Drachma, Denarius being the name of the silver
coin among the Romans which the Greeks called Drachma. In passing
to the Arabs, however, Denarius or Dinar came to be the. name of
their gold coin, worth in Mukaddasi's days somewhat under los. of
our money ; while the Drachma, under the form Dirham, continued
as the silver coin which, in the days of the early Abbasides, exchanged
at the rate of about fifteen to the Dinar, and was worth, therefore,
about eight English pence.
The names of the Kafiz, Waibah, Sa , Kailajah, and Habb (or grain),
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 73
The Kailajah contains about ij Sa's.
The MakkCik equals 3 Kailajahs.
The Waibah is 2 Makkuks.
The Kafiz is 4 Waibahs.^
The people of Jerusalem are wont to make use of the
Mudi, which contains two-thirds of a Kafiz ; and of the
Kabb, which equals a quarter of the Mudi ; and they do not
use the Makkuk at all, except in the government measure-
ments.
In 'Amm^n the Mudi equals 6 Kailajahs ; their Kafiz
is the half of the Kailajah, and by this measure they sell
their olives and dried figs.
In Tyre the Kafiz is the same as the Mudi of Jerusalem,
and the Kailajah here equals the Sa'.
At Damascus the Ghirarah contains ij Palestine Kafiz.'^
are all of native Arab origin. The Kabb is etymologically identical
with the Hebrew * Cab,' which contained a quart and a third. In
Greek, too, we have Ka/So?, for the name of the corn measure ; and
the Greeks are said to have received the word from the East.
The Makkuk is said to have been adopted from the Persians, with
whom it was the name of the Royal Drinking Cup, in shape resembling
a boat ; and Makkuk is even at this day in Persia the name given to
the weaver's shuttle, which has much this form.
The Danik, which was the sixth part of either Dirham or Dinar, is
also a Persian word, and Danak (with the ordinary k) in that language
signifies * a grain.'
^ The basis of the system is the Sa, the corn measure of the days
of the Prophet, which was ruled to contain the equivalent of ' four times
the quantity of corn that fills the two hands, that are neither large nor
small, of a man.' {V/de Lane's 'Dictionary,' s.v. Sd\) Roughly
speaking, it may be taken at rather more than five pints. In Syria,
therefore, the Kailajah may be regarded as the equivalent of our
gallon, the Makkuk being 3 gallons, the Waibah 6 gallons (or | of a
bushel), and the Kafiz 3 bushels.
' For these last measures we have :
Jerusalem Mudi ... ... ... 2 bushels.
Kabb ^ bushel.
74 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Measures of Weight.
In Syria, from Hims (Emessa), even to (the country
lying between Palestine and Egypt known as) Al j ifar, the
Ratls are (countless) of six hundred varieties, all different ;
of these the heaviest is the Rati of Acre, and the lightest
that of Damascus.
The "Okiyyah (Ounce) contains from 40 and odd up to
5o(dirhams of weight), and every Rati contains 12 tJkiyyah
or ounces, except only at Kinnasrin, where the Rati is two-
thirds of this (and contains only 8 ounces).^
The legal weight of the coin, in Syria, is very nearly
everywhere the Dirham weight of 60 grains, and their
Grain (Habb) is the grain of barley-corn.
The Danik (which is the sixth of the Dirham) weighs 10
grains.
The Dinar contains 24 Kirats; and their Kirat is
equivalent to 3. J Barley-corns.^
'Ammin Mudi ... ... ... | bushel
>» IVHUiS ... ... ... g „
Tyrian Kafiz ... ... ... 2 bushels.
„ Kailajah ... ... ... 5 pints.
Damascene Ghirarah ... ... 4^ bushels.
"The tJkiyyah, or ounce, in Syria, would contain about 5^ English
ounces ; the Common Rati about 6 lb. ; and that of Kinnasrin 4 lb.
2 If the barleycorn be taken at /^ of an English grain, by calcula-
tion we get the Syrian Kirat, nearly equivalent to 2} English grains ;
the Syrian Dinar-weight rather above 59^ grains. The Danik or
Sixth is then equivalent to just over 7 of our grains, and the legal
Dirham-weight 42!- grains.
It must be borne in mind, however, that all the above calculations
are only very roughly approximate. No little confusion is introduced
into the Arab systems of weights, measures, and moneys, by the fact
that it is often difficult for us to know whether a particular word is to
be taken as meaning the coin or the weight, or again, the weight or the
measure. Thus Dirham is the silver coin, also the legal weight,
equivalent to aboiit 47^ English grains, which is the basis of the
INCLUDING PALESTINE.
The distance between the Post Stations (the Barid) in
Syria is generally six miles.^
Customs and Manners peculiar to Syria.
In the Syrian mosques it is the wont to keep the lamps
always lighted, and they are suspended by chains even as
at Makkah. In the chief town of every province, the
Public Treasure is kept in the Great Mosque, it being
placed in a chamber supported upon pillars. And in their
mosques, except only in that of Jericho, it is of usage to
have doors shutting off the main building from the court,
which last is flagged with stone ; for the court of the Great
Mosque at Tiberias alone in all this province is paved with
pebbles.-
The minarets are built square, and they set a pitched
roof^ over the main building of the mosques; also, at
all the mosque gates, and in the market places, are cells
for the ablution. Throughout Syria it is the custom to
remain seated between the two Salams of the Evening
whole system of weights. The Rati is the standard of weight, and
also a measure of capacity, because the Arabs, hke the Romans, often
calculated cubic measure by the weight of a specific quantity of oil or
wine. So, again, the Kafiz is the corn measure, but also the land
measure (being the land that may be sown with that quantity of corn),
and as such, is counted as i\j of the Jarib, the normal square measure
for cultivated grounds.
^ The Stages along the high roads, on which post-horses were kept
at the Government expense, were called ' Barid.' The institution is
of very ancient date, and the word used by the Arabs was probably a
corruption of the Latin Veredus^ a post-horse.
^ See above, p. 27.
^ Meaning not a flat terrace-roof, with or without small cupolas, as
is more generally the mode of roofing adopted in the mosques. The
word used \s Jcunaldn, that is, 'camel-backed,' which sufficiently indi-
cates the pitched or gable-roof. See the illustration in Biideker's
* Palestine ' representing the Aksa Mosque.
76 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Prayers during the month of Ramadhan, and some persons
recite but once the prayers enjoined to be repeated in series
of uneven numbers/ although in past times they used to
recite these said prayers three times over. In my day Abu
Ishak of Marv^ made an inhibition at Jerusalem on this
matter of the single prayer. At the time of the Evening
Prayers during Ramadhan, the crier calling to prayer adds
the words, * Allah, have mercy upon you !' and in Jerusalem
they say these evening .prayers thrice. Throughout Syria
those employed in the Recitations of the Kur'an are
generally story-tellers by trade. The followers of Abu
Hanifah hold the place of assembly for their Recitation in
the Aksa Mosque, and they recite, reading from a volume,
even as do the Karramites at their cloister.^ It is the
custom after the prayers on the Friday, that the guards
should proclaim aloud the creed (^ There is no god but God,
and Muhammed is His prophet !'). The Jurisconsults hold
their assemblies between the two day-prayers, and between
the evening-prayers; and the Kur'an Readers likewise hold
their sittings in the Great Mosques. Of Christian Feasts
I that are observed also by the Muslims of Syria, for the
division of the seasons of the year, are the following :
Easter, at the New Year (old style, the Vernal Equinox) ;
Whitsuntide, at the time of heat ; Christmas, at the time
of cold ; the Feast of St. Barbara^ in the rainy season — and
the people have a proverb, which says, ' When St. Barbara's
Feast comes round, then the mason may take to his flute,'
meaning that he may then sit quiet at home ; — the Feast
^ These are the prayers technically called Witr. (See above, p. 68.)
* A renowned doctor of the Shafiite School ; he died in a.h. 340 =
A.D. 951.
* See above, p. 67, n. 2.
* In a former chapter Mukaddasi relates how he himself once took
part in the Festival of St. Barbara. It was celebrated on the 4th day
of Kanun I. (December).
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 77
of the Kalends,^ — and again, one of their proverbs is,
'When the Kalends come, keep warm and stay at home;*
—the Feast of the Cross^ at the time of grape-gathering ;
and the Feast of Lydda*^ at the time of sowing the seed.
The months in use in Syria are the (solar months) of the
Greeks : namely, Tishrin First and Second (October and
November), KdnOn First and Second (December and
January), Shibat (February), Adhar (March), Nisan (April),
Ayyar(May),Hazairan (June), Tammuz (July), Ab (August),
and Ilul (September).
It is seldom recorded that any Jurisprudist of Syria pro-
pounds new doctrines, or that any Muslim here is the writer
of aught ; except only at Tiberias, where the scribes have
ever been in repute. Verily the scribes here in Syria, as is the
case in Egypt, are all Christians, for the Muslims abandon
to them entirely this business, and, unlike the men of other
nations, do not hold letters a profitable subject of study.
Once when I was at Baghdad, in the assembly of the Chief
of the Kadis, I was ashamed at the number of grammatical
errors in his speech. But those about him perceived no
fault therein.
In this province of Syria also, for the most part the
assayers of coin, the dyers, bankers, and tanners, are Jews^
v/hile it is most usual for the physicians and the scribes to
be Christians.
Now be it known that in the Lands of Islam five feasts
^ The first day of Kanun II. (January), was the Day of the Kalends.
* On this day,' says Al Biruni, ' the Christian children assemble and go
round through the houses, crying with the highest voice and some sort
of melody " Calendas." Therefore they receive in every house some-
thing to eat and a cup of wine to drink.'
2 The 13th or 14th of Ilul (September) was the Feast of the Cross
(Masudi i. 403).
3 The Feast of Lydda is the Feast of St. George. It took place on
the 23rd of Nisan (April).
78 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
at five different places are renowned, to wit : Ramadan,
for its splendour at Makkah ; the Night of the Perlection
of the Kur'an,^ at the Aksa Mosque; the Two Feasts ^ in
Askaliyyah (Sicily) ; the Day of 'Arafat* at Shiraz ; and the
Fridays in Baghdad. And further, both the middle Night
of the month of Sha'ban^ at Jerusalem ; and the Day of the
'Ashura^ at Makkah, are also magnificently kept.
The Syrians are a well-dressed folk. Both learned and
simple wear the long cloak called * Rida,' and they do not
put on lighter garments in summer-time, except it be in the
matter of the single-soled shoe.
In Syria the graves are heaped up to form mounds : the
^ The month of obligatory fasting. The fasting is during the whole
period from sunrise to sunset ; the feasting is during the night, which
is passed pleasantly enough, the day being devoted to sleep, prayer,
and counting the lagging hours which are to elapse before sun-down.
^ The night preceding the 27th day of Ramadan is generally said to
be the Lailat al Kadar ' the Night of Fate ;' for it is the anniversary
of the revelation of the Kur an to the Prophet, and on it, according to
popular belief, the fate of all created things is fixed for the coming year.
^ The Two Feasts I conclude to be, that of the ist of Shawwal, the
* Feast of the Fast-breaking' (after Ramadan) ; and that of the loth
of Dhu-1-Hijjah, the ' Day of the Victims,' when the animals that
have been brought to Makkah for the purpose of the sacrifice are
slain. This closes the rites of the Pilgrimage, and is done in com-
memoration of Abraham's sacrifice of the ram in the place of Isaac.
* The day of the great pilgrimage on 'Arafat is the 9th of Dhii-l-Hijjah.
^ The 15th of Sha'ban is the anniversary of the date when the
Ka'bah was made the Kiblah (point of worship) instead of Jerusalem.
This night is also catled the Night of Immunity, for on it the Angel
of Death and the Recording Angel, both receive from Allah new
registers, and, between the laying down of the old volumes and the
taking up of the new, a moment elapses of which no record is kept,
and perchance a man may profit thereby to escape.
® The loth of Muharram is the celebrated Day of 'Ashura, the sad
anniversary of the martyrdom of the Prophet's grandson, Al Husain.
Hence, among the Shi'ahs a fast day ; but with the Sunni's a feast-
day, for the Prophet is reported to have said that it was ' a grand and
blessed day, on which God took mercy on Adam.'
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 79
people follow after the bier, and they bear the body, head
foremost, to the grave.^ And in order to complete the
reading of the Kur'an, it is customary to go out to the tomb
during the three days after a man's death.
The Syrians wear the heavy rain-cloaks — of wool — called
* Mimtar,' thrown open ; and their Tailasans^ have not the
hollowed form. In Ar Ramlah the chief shopkeepers are
wont to ride Egyptian asses, with fine saddles, and it is
only Amirs and Chiefs who keep horses. The townsmen
and the scribes wear the woollen vest called ' Durra'ah.'^
The clothing of the peasantry in the villages round
Jerusalem and Nabulus consists of a single shirt, called the
^Kisa,' and they wear no drawers beneath it.* The peasantry
all of them possess ovens called * Furn,' and those of them
who can get burnt bricks make small bread-ovens (Tannur)
in the ground. They line these with pebbles, and kindling
the fire of dried-dung within and above, they afterwards re-
move the hot ashes and place the loaves of bread to bake upon
these pebbles when they have become thus red-hot.^ There
1 This is according to the Shafi'ite rite.
^ The Tailasan was the distinctive head-dress of the Kadis and the men
•of learning. It consisted of a veil (also called Tarhah), worn above the
ordinary turban and allov.'ed to fall over the shoulders. It was usually
made of white muslin or linen stuff. The word I have rendered by
* hollowed/ nnikawwar, may also signify ' starched,' but it is generally
taken to denote the ' nick ' or cavity left at the top of the head-dress.
8 The Durra'ah (also called Midra'ah) was a short vest generally
■worn open in front, but having buttons to fasten it if desired. It was
made of coloured stuffs, and in either cloth or woollen fabric.
* The Kisa is the long shirt or cloak, reaching from the neck almost
to the feet ; it was of either white or coloured stuff. The dress of the
Pellahin of Palestine is, even at the present day, exactly what our
author describes.
5 When reading Mukaddasi, during my sojourn in Syria, I was con-
stantly struck by the fact that very many if not most of the customs he
notices are still retained at the present day ; his description of the
•ovens, in particular, is precisely what may be seen in any Druze
^village of Mount Carmel.
So DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
are also bakers in Syria of the lentil-bread, and of the dish
called * Baisar.'i In this province, too, they set to boil in olive-
oil beans that have already sprouted, and then fry them,
which is a dish sold for eating with olives. Also they salt the
Lupin, and use it much for food. From the Carob bean^ they
make a species of sweetmeat, which is called Kubbait ; that
made from the sugar-cane is known for distinction as Natif
(that is, Sweetmeat). During the winter-time they bake
the sugared butter-cakes called * Zullabiyyah ;' these are of
pastry, but in Syria they are not made with cross-bars on the
top filled in with confection of fruit. In the greater number
of the above customs the Syrians resemble the Egyptians,
but in some few they have the ways of the inhabitants of
'Irak and Akur (Lower and Upper Mesopotamia).
Mineral and other Products of Syria.
There are iron-mines in the mountains above Bairut, and
near Aleppo is found the red chalk, called Maghrah.^ It is
here of excellent quality ; at 'Amman, where it is also
found, it is less pure. Throughout Syria there are met
with mountains of a reddish colour, the rocks of which are
known as of the 'Samakah' (or red sandstone), which same
is easily quarried. Also there are mountains of a whitish
colour, formed of what is called 'Hawvvarah' (or chalk) ; this
is less hard than the ' Samakah/ and they use it to whitewash
ceilings, and for the cementing of the terrace-roofs of the
1 The Baisar or Faisar was a dish peculiar to Egypt, as Mukaddasi
himself remarks in his description of that country. It consists
of beans cooked in honey and milk, and was generally eaten with,
meat.
, 2 See above, p. 69, n. 2, and p. 72, n. i.
3 This is the mineral called Rubrica Sinopica ; it is made use of by
the druggists in the concoction of specifics, being specially employed
in the clyster, and as a remedy in cases of liver disease. It is noticed
by Dioscorides.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 8r
'houses. In Palestine there are quarries of good white
building-stone ; and at Bait Jibril in many places marble
is found. From the Ghaur districts they bring sulphur,
and other like minerals ; and from the Dead Sea they
get salt in powder. The best honey is that from Jerusalem,
where the bees suck the thyme ; and likewise that from Jabal
'Amilah. The finest quality of the sauce called Muri' is
that which is made at Jericho.
Holy Places.-— As regards these (Mash-had, or Places
•of Martyrdom), we have mentioned many of them in the
prefatory paragraphs of this our description of Syria ; and
did we wish to enumerate them all, verily our book would
become over-long. The greater number of these Holy
Places are found in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem ; in
Jess degree they occur scattered over Palestine, and they
are more rare still in the Jordan Province.
Water, in Syria, is for the most part excellent. That
found at Baniyas, however, acts aperiently ; and the water
of Tyre causes constipation. At Bais^n the water is heavy
and bad, while of a truth we take refuge in Allah from that
of Sughar. The water of Bait ar R^m is execrable, but
nowhere do you find lighter (and better) water than at
Jericho. The water of Ar Ramlah is easy of digestion, but
that of Nabulus is hard. In Damascus and Jerusalem the
water is not so hard, for the climate of these towns is less
arid.
Rivers occur in some numbers throughout this province,
and they flow into the Mediterranean Sea. All except the
Earada and the Jordan. The Barada, which divides
1 The Muri sauce is a pickle made with certain fish or meat set ia
salt water. It has medicinal properties, noted by Galen, Dioscorides,
and Rhazes, and was known to the Romans under the name of Garum
•or Muria. One Al Ilatiz calls it the ' Pearl of Condiments.'
6
82 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
below the city of Damascus, waters that district. In its
upper part, an arm branching from the main stream en-
circles the north quarter of the city, and divides below it
into two branches, the one of which runs towards the desert
and forms there a lake, while the other descends till it joins
the Jordan.
The River Jordan rises from above Baniyas, and de-
scending, forms a Lake over against Kadas (the Hulah);
thence again, descending to Tiberias, it spreads out into
the Lake of that name, and from here further descending
through the valleys of the Ghaur it falls into the Over-
whelming Lake (which is the Dead Sea). This Lake is
completely salt, wild, all swallowing, and stinking. The
mountains rise above it, but its waves never rise in the storm.
Neither the Barada, the River Jordan, the River Maklub
(the Upper Orontes), nor the River of Antioch (the Lower
Orontes), are navigable for boats.
The Greek Sea (the Mediterranean) bounds Syria on
the west ; the CHINA Sea (the Red Sea, and Gulf of Akaba)
attains it on the south. Over against Tyre lies the Island
of KUBRUS (Cyprus), said to be twelve days' journey (round).
It is full of populous cities, and offers the Muslims many
advantages in their trade thither, by reason of the great
quantities of merchandise, stuffs, and goods, which are pro-
duced there. The island is in the power of whichever
nation is overlord in these seas. It lies distant across the
water a sail of a night and a day, and from thence on to
the country of the Greeks is the same distance again.
The Marvellous Sights of the Province of Syria.
There is at Jerusalem, without the city, a huge cavern.
According to what I have heard from learned men, and
also have read in books, it leads into the place where lie
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 8j
the people slain by Moses.^ But there is no surety in this,
for apparently it is but a stone quarry with passages lead-
ing therefrom, along which one may go with torches.
Between Palestine and the Hijjaz, that is, between Ar
Ramlah and Wailah, are the stones which were cast at the
people of Lot. They lie along the Pilgrim Road, being
striped, and of size both large and small.
Near Tiberias are boiling springs, which supply most of
the hot baths of that town. A conduit goes to each bath from
the springs, and the steam of the water heats the whole
building, whereby they have no need of artificial firing. In
an outer building they set cold water, that in certain pro-
portion it may be mixed with the hot by those who wish to
bathe, and this same also serves in the places for the Ablu-
tion. Within this district are other hot springs, as 'at the
place called Al Hammah^ (the Thermal Waters). Those
who suffer from the scab, or ulcers, or sores, and other such
diseases, come to bathe here during three days, and then
afterwards they dip in the water of another spring, which is
cold, whereupon, if Allah vouchsafe it to them, they become
cured. I have heard the people of Tiberias relate that all
around these springs, down to the time of Aristotle, there
were bath-houses, each establishment being for the cure of
a specific disease, and those who were afflicted thereby lived
here and bathed for their cure. Aristotle, however, demanded
of the King of that time that these bath-houses should be
* Probably referring to Korah and his companions, of whom men-
tion occurs in the Kur'in (xxviii. 76-81) under the name of Kirun.
- It would seem probable that the hot springs of Gadara, or Amatha
in the Yarmuk Valley, are those to which reference is here made. Round
the large basin may still be seen the remains of vaulted bath-houses.
The sanatory properties of these sulphureous waters are highly extolled
by many ancient writers, and to this day they have maintained their
reputation among the Bedawin and Fellahin of Palestine, so much so
that the bathing-place is regarded by all parties as a neutral ground..
6—2
84 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
pulled down, lest thereby men should become exempt from
recourse to physicians. That there are here several different
waters, with various medicinal properties, would appear to
be a certain fact, for every sick person who comes here now,
is obliged each one to immerse himself completely in the
waters, thereby to insure that he shall get to that which
particularly may heal his disorder. Among the villages near
Maab, also, there is another hot spring, called Hammah.
The Lake of Sughar (the Dead Sea) is a marvellous
place, for the River Jordan and the River of the Sharah
both pour into it, and yet they change the level not at all.
It is said that a man does not sink easily in its waters,
and that waves do not rise on its surface. With its waters,
if a clyster be administered, the same is a cure for many
disorders. They have a feast-day for the purpose of. thus
taking the waters, and it occurs in the middle of the month
of Ab (August), when the people, with those who are afflicted
with sickness, assemble thereto. In the Mountains of the
Sharah (Edom, or Mount Seir) also, there are hot springs,
called Hammah.
In Palestine, during the summer time, every night when
the south wind is blowing, dew falls, and in such quantities
that the gutters of the Aksa Mosque are set to run.
There is at Hims (Emesa) a Talisman ^ — it is the Wind-
vane, and it serves against scorpions. For whosoever takes
clay and presses it thereon, by Allah's permission, will
obtain a cure for their sting; and the cure is affected by
the imprint of the figure on the vane, not by the clay
alone. And in the Holy City, too, there is a Talisman
against the bite of serpents, the same being the inscription on
the marble slab behind the Pulpit of the Great Mosque,*
1 See above, p. 15.
2 Al Biiuni (a.H. 390, A.D. 1000) also mentions these inscriptions,
which he describes as lusus natuiie, not cut in the surface of the stone.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 85
where is cut in the surface the words, 'Muhammad is Allah's
Apostle,' and again, * In the name of Allah the Merciful,
the Compassionate.'
The Cities of Solomon — upon whom be peace — are
Ba'albaK'k and Tadmur ; they are among the marvellous
sights to see, as likewise the Dome of the Rock, the
Mosque of Damascus, and the Harbours of Tyre and Acra
Syria lies very pleasantly situated. The country, physic-
ally, may be divided into four belts. The First Belt is
that on the border of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the
plain-country, the sandy tracts following one another, and
alternating with the cultivated land. Of towns situated
herein are Ar Ramlah, and also all the cities of the sea-
coast. The Second Belt is the mountain-country, well
wooded, and possessing many springs, with frequent
villages, and cultivated fields. Of the cities that are
situated in this part are ; Bait Jibril, Jerusalem, Nabulus
Al-Lajjun, Kabul, Kadas, the towns of the Bika' district and
Antakiyyah. The Third Belt is that of the valleys of the
Ghaur, wherein are found many villages and streams, also
palm trees, well cultivated fields, and indigo plantations.
Among the towns in this part are Wailah, Tabuk, Sughar
Jericho, Baisan, Tiberias, Baniyas. The Fourth Belt is that
bordering on the Desert. The mountains here are high
and bleak, and the climate resembles that of the Waste ;
but it has many villages, with springs of water, and forest
trees. Of the towns therein are Maab, ^Amman, Adhra'ah,
Damascus, Hims, Tadmur, and Aleppo.
Of mountains that serve as lines of demarcation are the
but marked by the natural veins (p. 294 of Sachau's translation of th«
Athdr-ul-Bdkiyah).
86 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Mount of Olives, the hills of Siddika, of the Lebanon, and
of Al Lukkam ; and the very navel of the Holy Land is
among the mountains which overhang the coast.
Now on a certain day I was present at the assembly of
Abu Muhammad al Mikali, the chief Doctor of Law at
Naisabur (in Khurasan), and thither the jurisprudists
were come for discussion. Abu-1-Haitham (one of those
present) was asked v/hether he could give the proof that it
was permissible to perform the ^waterless-ablution, called
At Tayammum, with chalk ('Nurah'). He cited as his
warrant- the known saying of the Prophet — the benediction
of Allah be upon him, and His peace — * Thou, O God,
hast made for me the earth as a place of prayer and also
as a means of purification,^ and, said he, soil of all kinds
is included under the word ' earth.'^ Retorted the questioner,
*Nay, but the soil of the plain alone is intended, and not
that of the mountain.' Then the discussion became great
and the talking loud, so that they caused me to wonder at
their loquacity. And I said, speaking to Abu Dharr ibn
Hamdan, who was one of the loudest of the disputants —
* But in truth one must refuse all assent to him who
advances such a quibble as does this learned jurisconsult ;
for has not Allah Himself — may He be exalted — said in the
^ The obligatory Ablution before prayer may, according to Muslim
law, be performed either by washing with water, or in the absence of
water, (as for instance during a journey through the desert,) sand,
dry earth, or cinders may be used in its place. This form of the
Ablution is technically termed At Tayammum.
^ This lengthy argument on an entirely futile point — whether chalk,
which they assume to be exclusively found in the hill-country, may be
counted as earth ; whether earth must be earth of the plain, or may
also be earth of the mountain ; and lastly, whether the Children of
Israel could possibly have got into the Holy Land without passing
through the mountainous country which hems it in, — all this the
Muslim Divines find extremely entertaining and edifying ; and for
apology we can only add that it is characteristic of the age and the people.
INCLUDING PALESTINE, 87
Kur'an (chapter v., verse 24, when speaking to the Children
of Israel), ** Enter ye the Holy Land ;" and is not that same
a mountainous country?' However, Abu Dharr began to
argue sophistically, bringing forward matters that in no
way refuted the reasoning ; and another jurisprudist, one
Sahl ibn as Sa'lukf, even added, * But see, it is distinctly
said " Enter ye the land," and not " Go ye tipl' as though
the mountain-country were intended.* But after this the
matter was allowed to drop (for it was deemed absurd).
Now if anyone say to me, ' Still, none the less, it is
written that the way (into the Holy Land) is by Jericho,
through which same Allah commanded the Children
of Israel to enter the Land ; and Jericho being in the
Ghaur and not in the Mountain, that which the Imam, the
son of the Imam (Sahl ibn as Sa'luki), brought forward,
was, in fact, the truth concerning the matter ;' then my
answer, whereby I will refute this, is after two ways. And
first let us take it from the point of view of jurisprudence.
It will be conceded that the Holy Land is a mountainous
country, and Jericho lies in the plains below, and is counted
among its dependencies. Now the Verse of which we are
speaking, most clearly refers to Al Kuds (the Holy City),
which is Jerusalem, and which is situated in the mountains ;
and hence it is beyond the question for us to consider such
of the outlying towns as are in the plain or the valleys of the
Ghaur. If, however, it be asserted that the Verse has
reference to the City of the Giants, which is Jericho, and
that it was this which the Children of Israel were com-
manded to enter : then I reply that the text suffices to
both interpretations, and refers both to the entering into
the Holy Land, and the entering also into the said City (of
Jericho). With regard to the subject matter under discus-
sion, however, the application of the Verse is here restricted
\jo the mountain-country alone; though in truth it is ever
88 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
laudable to read the words of the Kur'an, understanding-
them in their most extended signification. Further, it may
be pointed out that Allah — may His name be exalted and
glorified — has, in His Word, used an expression that
enforces the above argument. Namely, in the Verse of
the Kur'an (chap. vii. 33) which says : ' We have made
the people who were regarded as weak to be the heritors
of the Country of the East and also of the West, which
same is the Land that we have blessed ;' for we must under-
stand by these lands, both the plain-country of Palestine
and its mountains — in fact, the Scripture itself explains-
(Kur'an, v. 25) : 'Verily, therein is a people who are Giants ;*
that is, there in the vicinity of the Holy Land.
Now the second way in which I can answer Ibn as
Sa'luki's argument is from the point of view of topo-
graphy. Since it is stated that the Children of Israel were
commanded to make their entry into Al Kuds (the Holy
City) through the City of the Giants, who dwelt in Jericho,
which same lies in the valley of the Ghaur, between the
mountain-country and the Dead Sea, and that it is not
possible for it to be argued that the Israelites were com-
manded to voyage by ship upon the sea ; then there
remains no other way for them to have entered the Land
except through the mountain-country, as in fact they did,
for the Children of Israel journeyed to the Promised Land,
passing through the Balka province and crossing over the
Jordan to Jericho. Thus, he who takes the argument against
me is reduced to one of two conclusions : either he must
hold that the Israelites were commanded not to enter the
mountains of the Holy City, or he must affirm that the
mountains both of Jerusalem and of the Balka are not
held to be within the Holy Land ; and he who would
seriously make either of these assertions, with him it were,
more seemly to abandon all discussion.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 89
Now the jurisprudist, Abu Dharr, when I pressed him
after this manner, said, answering me : * Yes ; but you
yourself can never have entered the Holy City, for had
you done so you would have known that it lies in a plain^
and not among the mountains.' But Abu Muhammad,
our president in this assembly, immediately corrected and
silenced him by stating that I was, on the contrary, a native
of the Holy Land.
I have heard my maternal uncle, 'Abd Allah ibn ash Shaw^,
relate that a certain Sultan having a mind to take posses-
sion of the Dair (or Monastery of) Shamwil/ which is at a
village lying about a league from Jerusalem, spoke to the
owner thereof, saying, ' Describe to me thy country.' And
the man answered him : * My village — may Allah give thee
aid — is of the heavens, lying far above the lowlands : poor
in soft herbage, rich in oats : hard bread do you eat there,
and of crops enjoy no profitable return : tares gain the
upper hand, and the almond even is bitter : the husband-
man sows a bushel of corn and reaps but the same : this
Holy Place, however, is well provided with pits.' And the
Sultan cried : *Be off with you ; we would have naught to
do with your village.'
Now, as regards the great chains of Mountains of Syria,
there are the following :
Jabal Zaita (the Mount of Olives), which overhangs
the Holy City ; and we have already made mention thereof.
Jabal Siddika. — These mountains lie between Tyre,
Kadas, Banyias, and Sidon. Here may be seen the
Tomb of Siddika.2 On the middle day of the month of
* The present Neby Samwil, a small hamlet of mud hovels, north of
Jerusalem. See S. of W. P. Memoirs, iii. 12.
" Yakut in the thirteenth century of our era states that there is in
Palestine a village called Aik Shajarah^ where may be seen 'the
Tomb of Siddik, the son of the Prophet Salih — upon whom be
90 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Sha'ban^ it is the custom for great numbers of the people of
the towns around here to make a pilgrimage to this Tomb,
and the Lieutenant of the Sultan also is present. It so
happened that once when I was sojourning in this part of
the country, upon the Friday in the middle of Sha'ban
the Kadi Abu'l Kasim ibn Al 'Abbas called upon me to
preach before the congregation. In my sermon I urged
them to the restoration of their Mosque, and with success,
for afterwards this was accomplished, a pulpit being also
erected therein. I have heard it related that when a dog in
pursuit of any wild animal comes to the boundaries of this
Sanctuary, he there and then stops short ; and there are
other stories told of a like kind.
JABAL LubNaN (the Lebanon Mountains) lie contiguous
(and to the north of) the Jabal vSiddika. Their slopes are
covered with trees, and fruits fit for eating abound. In many
places among the Lebanon Mountains occur little springs
of water, where people who come out to pray have made
for themselves houses of reeds or rushes. They live on
the edible fruits, and also gain money by cutting what are
known as the * Persian reeds/^ and the myrtles, and other
such like, which they carry into the towns for sale. But
they do hot obtain much profit thereby.
Jabal al JaulaN (the Hills of the Jaulan). — These lie
on the opposite hand to the Lebanon Mountains, over to-
wards Damascus, as we have before stated. Here it was
that I met Abu Ishak al Balluti (him of the Oak tree), who
was accompanied by forty men, his disciples, all of them
dressed in woollen garments (after the manner of the
ascetics). These people have a mosque, in which they
Peace.' Doubtless this is the place here mentioned ; see above
also, p. 2.
^ See above, p. yS, n. 5. * The Artnido donax.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. gt
assemble for prayer. I found Abu Ishak to be a very learned
and pious jurisconsult of the sect of Sufyan ath Thuri.^
These people feed themselves with acorns — a fruit that is
of the size of the date, but bitter. They split it in
half, and make it sweeter by allowing it to soak in water.
It is then dried and ground in a mill. In this country
also grows desert-barley, which these people mix with the
acorn-meal, and therewith make their bread.
Jabal LukkaM.2 — This is the most populous mountain
region of Syria, also the largest in area and the most rich
in fruit trees. At the present day, however, (a.D. 985) all this
country is in the hands of the Armenians. Tarsus lies
beyond these mountains, and Antioch is on our side of them.
The Government of Syria. — This is in the hands of
(the Fatimite Khalif) the Ruler of Egypt. Saif ad Daulah,
of the Eani Hamdun,^ has lately obtained possession of the
northern portion of the country.
The Tribute. — Taxes are not heavy in Syria, with the
exception of those levied on the Caravanserais (Fanduk) ;
here, however, the duties are oppressive, as we have men-
tioned when describing the Holy City.* The property tax
} Sufyan ath Thuri was one of the most celebrated of the ascetics
and devotees who made Jerusalem their head-quarters. He is reported
to have repeated the whole of the Kur'an in the Dome of the Rock,
during a single sitting, and then to have partaken of but a single
plantain for refreshment. He died in A.D. yjj.
- These are more particularly the eastern and northern parts of what
Avas anciently known as Mount Amanus. All the Syrian mountains
north of the Lebanon, however, are generally included under this
name. The Jabal Lukkdm are apparently identical with the Jabal
Sikkin of later Arab Geographers.
^ Saif ad Daulah, the Hamdanide, ruled at Aleppo from A.H. 333 to
3 56 = A.D. 944-967, when he was succeeded by Sa'ad ad Daulah, who
again was succeeded l?y Sa'id ad Daulah in A.H. 381= A.D. 991. It
^vas Sa'ad ad Daulah who in point of fact was on the throne at the
time Mukaddasi was writing.
* See above, p. ^j.
92 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
(called Himayah)alsoisheavy.^ That of the Province of Kin-
nasrin and ArAwasim (which is the district north of Antioch
and towards the Greek frontier) amounts to 360,000 Dinars
(about ;^i 80,000). That of the Jordan Province is 170,000
Dinars (about ;^85,ooo). In Palestine it is 259,000 Dinars
(about ;^i 29,500); and from the Damascus Province it
amounts to 400,000 Dinars and a few thousands more
(about ;^2CO,ooo). In Ibn Khurdadbih's Book^ I have seen
it set down that the State Land Tax (Kharaj) of the
Kinnasrin Province was 400,000 Dinars (about ;^200,ooo) ;
that of the Hims Province 340,000 Dinars (about ;^ 170,000);
from the Jordan Province 350,000 Dinars (about ;^ 175,000);
and from the Province of Palestine 500,000 Dinars (about
;£"2 50,000).^
In its length Syria goes from Midyan of Sha'ib (Jethro)
up to the Frontier of the Greeks, and is thirty-nine days*^
journey. The breadth of the Province varies — that por-
tion lying over against the Hijjaz is narrow, while towards
the Northern Frontiers it widens in extent.
^ Himayah literally signifies * Protection.' It was an un-canonical
tax levied on goods and premises, and of the nature of a * license/
granting the protection of the State to the occupier and possessor.
^ The ' Book of the Roads and the Provinces,' composed by Ibn-
Khurdadbih, by birth a Persian, who occupied high posts in the ser-
vice of the Khalifs at Baghdad, has been edited and translated by
M. B. de Meynard in \\\t Joitntal Asiaiiqi/e oi 1^6$. Ibn Khurdadbih
flourished under the Khalif al Mu'tamid, and wrote his book betAveen
the years 240 and 260 a.h.=a.d. 854-873.
^ Comparing this with Ibn Khurdadbih's original, we find the
provinces of Aleppo, Emessa, the Jordan, and Palestine given as in
our text. The Damascus Province (omitted above) is set down at
400,000 Dinars, plus a fraction (about ^200,000). The sum total of the
Land Tax for the whole of Syria therefore would have amounted to
about ;^995,ooo, while the Tax derived from Property or Licenses was
^594,500, making a grand total of somewhat over. a million and a half
sterling. From other authorities, however, it would seem that Ibn
Khurdadbih's figures are in excess by about one third.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 93
DISTANCES ALONG THE HIGH ROADS.
From Halab to B^lis is 2 days.^
From Halab to Kinnasrin is i day.
And it is the same to Al-Atharib.
From Halab to Manbij is 2 days.
From Halab to Antakiyyah is 5 days.
From Antakiyyah to Al L^dhikiyyah is 3 days.
From Manbij to the Euphrates is i march.
From Hims to Jiisiyyah is i march.
Thence to Ya'ath is i march.
Thence to Ba'albakk is J a march.
Thence to Az Zabadani is i march.
Thence to Damascus is i march.
From Hims to Shamsin is i march.
Thence to Kara^ is I march.
Thence to An-Nabk is i march.
Thence to Al-Kutayyifah is i march.
Thence to Damascus is i march.
From Hims to Salamiyyah^ is i march.
Thence to Al Kastal is 2 marches.
Thence to Ad-Dara'ah the same.
Thence to Ar-Rusafah is the same.
Thence to Ar-Rakkah is J a march.*
* The Day's Journey, or March (Marhalah), is stated by Al
Mukaddasi to be of eight and three-eighths Farsakhs (Parasangs) or
leagues — that is, about twenty-five English miles.
2 Robinson (1852) in his map marks Kara as the ancient Chara, and
Al Kutayyifah as the site of Thelseas.
* Salamiyyah is the ancient Salaminias.
* The stations Al Kastal and Ad Dara'ah (which latter Ibn Khur-
dadbih writes Az Za.cVah) are not marked on any modern map that
I can meet with. The distances are given by the lasc-mentioned
authority, in Arab (or Geographical) miles — viz., Ar Rusafah to Az
Zara'ah, forty ; thence to Al Kastal, thirty-six ; ihence to Salamiy-
yah, thirty. Ar Rusafah, meaning ' The Causeway,' and for dis-
94 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
From HIms to Hamah is i march.
Thence to Shaizar is i march.
Thence to Kafar-Tab is i march.
Thence to Kinnasrin is i march.
Thence to Halab is i march.
It may be counted as a two days' journey from
Damascus to Ba'albakk, or to the foUowlTig towns and
districts, namely: to Tarabulus, Bairut, Saida, Baniyas,
the Hauran District, the Bathaniyyah District, or the town
of Adhra'ah.
From Damascus to the further h'mit of the Ghautah (the
fertile plain surrounding the city) or to Bait Sara ^ is in
either case I march.
From Damascus to Al Kuswah is 2 post stages.'
Thence to Jasim is i march.
Thence to Fik ^ is the same.
Thence to Tiberias is i post stage.
linction known as the Rusafah of Hishim ibn 'Abd al Malik — for
there are other towns of the same name — was founded by the Omeyyad
Khalif Hisham (reigned from A.H. 105-125 = A.D. 724-743), who made
it his place cf residence during the time that Damascus was being
ravaged by the plague.
^ The position of Bait Sar'a I am unable to fix. As far as I know
the place is not mentioned by any other Arab Geographer, and I have
fruitlessly searched in the works of modern travellers for any hamlet of
this name.
2 The post-stage, or Barid, was counted as of two leagues (Far-
sakhs) in Syria. The Farsakh, according to Al Mukaddasi, is the
twenty-fifth part of the degree, or three miles. The Arab mile, which
contained 4,000 dhira' or ells, may be reckoned at somewhat over
the 2,000 yards, and therefore roughly speaking it is the geographical
mile or kuot.
* This is the Biblical Aphek, which is written in Arabic either Afik
or Fik. 'Akabah (as below) means the ' Ascent,' and has reference
to the steep road or gorge leading up from the Jordan Valley to
the Plateau of Jaulan, where Fik is situated.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. 93
From Baniyas to Kadas or to Jubb YClsuf (Joseph's Pit)^
is in either case 2 post stages.
From Bairdt to Saida, or to Tarabulus is in either case r
march.
From Tiberias to Al Lajjiln, or to either Jubb Yiisuf,
Baisan, 'Akabah Afik, Al Jashsh, or to Kafar Kila^ is
in every case i march.
From Tiberias to Adhra'ah or to Kadas is I march.
From 'Akabah Afik to Nawa is i march.
And thence to Damascus is i march.
From Jubb Yusuf to Baniyas is i march.
From Al Lajjun to Kalansuvvah^ is I march.
Thence to Ar Ramlah is I march.
Or if you prefer, you can go from Al-LajjCin to Kafar
Saba by the post road in i march, and thence to Ar Ramlah
in I march.
From Baisan to Ta'astr* is 2 post stages, thence to Nabulus
is the same, and thence to Jerusalem is i march.
From Jubb Ydsuf to Kariyat al 'UyiinS is 2 marches.
^ Jubb Yusuf is the traditional site of the pit into which Joseph was
thrown by his brethren. The tradition was probably based on the
erroneous assumption that the neighbouring^ city of Safed was the
Dothan of Scripture (Gen. xxxvii. 17). Jubb Yusuf lies about mid
Avay between Safed and the northern end of the Lake of Tiberias, and
rather more than a couple of miles from the lake shore.
If Kafar Kila be the K. Kileh of the S. of W. P. Map, situated
a little to the south of the great bend westwards of the Leontes
River, it must be /wo days' march, at least, from Tiberias.
=* Kalansuwah occupies the position of the Castle of Plans of the
Crusading age.
* Teiasir, of the * S. of W. P. Memoirs/ II., 228 and map. It has
been suggested as the possible site of Tirzah, once the capital of
Israel (Joshua xii. 24).
^ Kariyat al 'Uyun, ' the Village of the Springs,' represents the
Biblical Ijon (AJw ; Ahion) taken and plundered by the captains of
Benhadad (i Kings xv. 20). It is at the present day called Tell
Dibbin, but stands in the plain called Merj Ayyun, between the Upper
Jordan and the Leontes River. {ViWe 'Robinson,' 1852, p. 375.)
96 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Thence to Al-Kar'un is i march.
Thence to 'Ain al Jarr^ is I march.
Thence to Ba'albakk is i march.
This route goes by the name of Tarik al Madarij, * the
Road of Ladders.'
From Al Jashsh to Sur is i march.
From Sur to Saida is i march.
From Sur to Kadas, or to Majdal Salam,^ is 2 post-
stages ; and from Majdal Salam to Baniyas is 2 post-
stages.
From Tiberias to 'Akka is 2 marches.
From either Nabulus, or Kadas, or Saida, or Sur, to the
Jabal Libnan (Lebanon Mountains), is in every case about
I march.
From 'Akka to Sur, or from 'Akka to Al Kanisah,^ is in
each case i march.
From Ar Ramlah to either Jerusalem, or Bait Jibril
or 'Askalan, or As Sukkariyyah, or Ghazzah, or to Kafai
Saba, by the post-road, is in each case i march.
From Ar Ramlah to Nabulus, or to Kafar Sall^m, or
to Masjid Ibrahim,* or to Ariha, is in every case i march.
^ 'Ain al Jarr, is now contracted into Anjar. It is a large village in
the Bika' Plain, ^nd very near it are the ruins of the ancient Chalcis
ad Belum.
2 The name is written in the MSS. Majd (not Majdal) Salam, but
Mejdel Islim is marked exactly in this place in the Map of the '
S. of W. P., and that of Van der Velde has Mejdel Salim. Majd, too,
in the name of a place would have no signification, while Majdal is a
very frequent appellative, being identical in form and meaning with
the Hebrew Migdol, ' Castle.' I therefore, without hesitation, read
Majdal for ' Majd.'
=^ The present Tell Keniseh, a short distance north of 'Athlit (*S. of
W. P. Memoirs,' I., 314). In the opinion of William of Tyre this was
the site of the Capernaum of the Gospels, which he and his friends
saw fit to place on the shore of the Mediterranean,
* That is Hebron.
INCLUDING PALESTINE. cj
From Ar Ramlah to Yafah, or to Al MahOz, or
to ArsLif, or to Azdud/ or to Rafli, is in each ca^c
I march.
From As Sukkariyyah to At Tulail^ is 2 marches ; and
from At Tulail to Al Ghamr is 2 marches, and thence to
Wail ah is 2 marches.
From Jerusalem to either Bait Jibril, or Masjid Ibrahim,
or the Jordan River, is in every case i march.
From Jerusalem to Nabulus is i march ; and from
Jerusalem to Ariha is 2 post-stages.
From 'Askalan to Yafah, or to Rafh, is in each case i
march.
PVom Ghazzah to Bait Jibril, or to Azdud, or to Rafh, is
in every case i march.
From Masjid Ibrahim to Ka\vus=^ is i march, and thence
to Sughar is i march.
From Kafar Saba to Kalansuwah is i march.
From the Jordan River to 'Amman is i march.
From Nabulus to either Ariha, or to Kafar Sallam, or
to Baisan, is in every case i march.
From Ariha to Bait ar Ram^ is 2 post-stages ; and thence
to 'Amman is i march.
From Sughar to Maab is i march.
And from Sughar to Wailah is 4 marches. This last
road, as well as that from As Sukkariyyah to Wailah, both
^ The Biblical Ashdod.
- At Tulail, ' the Hillock' is not marked on the maps.
^ Kawus, as the name of a place, does not occur on any map, nor is
it mentioned, as far as I am able to discover, by any Arab geographer
except Mukaddasi ; furthermore, the reading of the name is not
unlikely to be corrupt, for the diacritic points are wanting in some ot'
the MSS. Hence Mons. C. Ganneau would propose to read Otfier
makmg a change in the diacritical points) for Kawus, Zu'airah (al
Faukah), which is a village situated at about this point, according to
Jthe map given in Biideker.
* The present Tell Rameh ?
7
98 THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA, INCLUDING PALESTINE.
lie through a wild barren country, which, though counted
as part of Syria, is in truth the Arabian Desert.
From 'Amman either to Maab, or to Az Zarika,^ is in
each case i march.
From Az Zarika to Adhra'ah is I march, and from
Adhra'ah to Damascus is 2 marches.
From Kaisariyyah to either Kafar Sallam, or Kafar
Saba, or Arsuf, or Al Kanisah, is in every case i march.
From Yafah to 'Askalan is i march.
^ In the text twice so spelt. But without doubt the town round
the present Kal'ah Zarka, on the Zarka (or Jabbok) River, is the
place intended. In his introductory chapter, when enumerating the
homonyms, our author mentions particularly ' Az Zarka, a town on
the Damascus (Pilgrim) Road.'
APPENDIX,
CONTAINING SOME FURTHER NOTES BY
COLONEL SIR C. WILSON, K.C.B.
Page i.
Jeremiah's Cistern is possibly the place mentioned by
Antoninus and Theodosius, the underground cistern in the
Haram Area, now known as the ' Well of the Leaf.'
Page 2.
The Oratory of Zacharias may have stood over the place
n the Haram Area where blood-stains were pointed out
to the Bordeaux Pilgrim. St. Jerome says that the stains
might be seen at a place lying between the ruins of the
Temple and the altar near the gate which leads to
Siloam.
Page 5.
The Cave of the Seven Sleepers is still shown on the
side of Jebel S'hab al Kehf, a prominent hill about five
miles from Tarsus ; at its mouth is a tree covered with
rags, and near it is a small mosque built by the mother of
the Sultan Abd al Aziz. It is a celebrated place of
pilgrimage, and a visit to it is looked upon as certain to be
efficacious in fever-cases. The * Tomb of Dakyanus ' is
perhaps the celebrated ' Dunuk Tash.'
7—2
loo THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Page 20.
Fragments of the old Mosaic work and Arabesques may,
at the present day, still be found on the walls of the great
mosque at Damascus, but neither in design nor execution
can these compare with the mosaics in the Dome of the
Rock at Jerusalem. The faience of the Damascus Mosque
is, as a rule, similar to that found on the walls of the Dome
of the Rock, while the inlaid marble work is similar to that
in the Aksa Mosque. The mosque gates (as described on
p. 19 of the text) are still covered with very beautifully
worked copper (or brass) plates. Perhaps the difficulty
with regard to the Bab as Sa'at may be due to an error on
the part of Mukaddasi, arising from the existence of the
Kubbat as Sa'at in the eastern half of the Mosque Court.
The Kubbat is a little octagonal building containing (in
1865) some old clocks, run down and useless. The Kubbat
al Kuttub was possibly the Baptistry of the old church.
Perhaps the Bab as Sa'at should have been Bab az
Ziyadeh ; there is a break in part of the wall there, in
the style of the masonry. The gate leading into the
Maks{irah (p. 22) appears to have been the Great Gate in
the south wall, now closed, over which is the well known
Greek inscription, *Thy Kingdom/ etc.
Page 34, Note 2.
Karyet al Tnab would appear to be situated at too great
a distance from Ramlah to be identified with Bali'ah, and
the road to this last would go through the 'Jerusalem
Gate.'
Page 38. — The Gates of Jerusalem.
(i) Bab SiJiytm. — The original Sion Gate lay probably
to the east of the modern gate of the same name, and at
INCLUDING PALESTINE, --APPENDIX. loi
the end of the street coming straight down from the
Damascus Gate ; it was also called ' Gate of the Jews*
Quarter.'
(2) Bd5 at Till. — The Modern Dung Gate, or there-
abouts ; being on the natural road down the Tyropceon,
which goes through the Wadi an Nar to the wilderness of
Judaea.
(3) Bab al Baldt most probably opened in the west wall
between the present Jaffa Gate and the south-west angle,
and led to the open space which is now the garden of the
Armenian Convent. One of the gates of old Jerusalem
stood near here, or maybe Bab al Bal.lt was the gate
which is known to have existed not far from the Golden
Gate, in the east wall.
(4) Bab Sihvdii was the Double Gate, in the wall under
the Aksa Mosque, which is mentioned as the gate leading
to Siloam by Antoninus, and was open in early Christian
times.
(5) Bab Jubb ArmiyA probably lay a little to the west of
the present Bab az Zahireh.
(6) Bab Arihd was either the modern St. Stephen's
Gate or the ancient gate, now closed, which opened near
the Golden Gate ; more probably the former, for the old
Roman road to Jericho had not, in Mukaddasi's days, yet
fallen into disuse.
(7) Bdb al'Anitld^ Damascus Gate,
(8) Bdb Mihrdb Ddud, Jaffa Gate.
Page 39.-~The Three Great Tanks in Jerusalem.
These are (i) Birkat Bani Israil, as at present ; (2)
Birkat Sulaiman, near St. Anne's Church, now filled in
(tradition ascribed these two pools to Solomon) ; and (3)
Birkat 'lyad, the Pool of Hezekiah, now Birkat Hammam
102 THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
al Butrak. The Pool BurL'.c (mentioned in note on p. 40)
is quite modern, and down to the times of the Latin
Kingdom a road ran under Wilson's Arch, where the pool
has been dug.
Page 46— Gates of the Haram Area.
Mukaddasi's Bab Hittah must be the modern Bab al
'Atm ; and his gate of the Birkat Bani Israil, the present
Bab Hittah. The two gates of the Prophet Muhammad
are the Bab al Magharibeh and * Barclay's Gate ;' one
being above the other. The gate of Mary's Oratory is
perhaps the gate or doorway recently found in the eastern
wall of the Haram Area, or else the Single Gate in the
southern wall ; the Mihrab Maryam is still shown at the
south-cast angle. The Hashimite, Al Walid, and Umm
Khalid gates are the Bab Nathir (known also as Bab
'Ala ad Din al Bosri), Bab Hadid, and Bab Kattanin, but
it is difficult to identify each individually. The gates of
the Sarai and of the Place of Ablutions are small and
modern openings.
Page 47.
The Mihrab Maryam is at the south-east angle of the
Haram Area, in the ' Chamber of the Cradle of Jesus.*
The Mihrabs of Zachariah and Al Khidr are in the Aksa
Mosque ; * Jacob ' is probably he who is now referred to as
' John,' and a ' Makam al Khidr ' is also found in the cave
of the Dome of the Rock. The ' Place of the Kabbah *
is perhaps the slab shown as the tomb of Aaron's Sons
in the Aksa Mosque. The 'Place of the Bridge as Sirat'
is now pointed out near the east wall of the Haram Area,
where a projecting column marks the spot.
INCLUDING PALESTINE.-APPENDIX. 103
Page 59.
The present ruin of the church of St. George at Lydda
a crusading building, but perhaps on the site of the older
IS a
church
Page 60, Note 5.
Kafar Sallam appears to be the modern Ras al *Ain, the
Antipatris of the Bible, and the Castle Mirabel of the
Crusaders.
INDEX.
W/ien tivo or more references are given^ the first indicates the
principal notice.
*Abd Allah ibn Rawahah, d-i,
'Abd Allah ibn Tahir, 42
Ablution, before prayer, with
water or sand, 86
Abraham, his bedstead, 52
Abu 'Amr's reading of the
Kuran, 68
Abu Bakr, the Architect, Grand-
father of Mukaddasi, con-
structs the Port at Acre, 30
Abu Ghaush, 34
Abu Hanifah, the Traditionist,
67, 76
Abu Ishak al Balluti, 90
Abu Ishak of Marv, 76
Abu Sa'id al Juri, 14
Acre. See 'Akka.
Adhri'ah (Edrei), 29, 11, 85, 94,
98
Adhruh (Adru of Ptolemy), d^,
II
'Adud ad Uaulah, Book from
his Library, 23
^lia Capitolina, 34 j and see
Jerusalem
Afik, 94, 95
Ailah. See Wailah
'Ain al Jarr, 96
'Ain Sulwan (Siloam), 49
'Ain Umm ad Daraj (Jerusalem),
49
•Ainuna, 11
'Ainuni raisins, 69
'Akaba, Gulf of, 3, 82 ; meaning
of the word, 94
'Akabah Afik, 95
'Akir (Ekron), 60
'Akka (Acre), 29, 11, 96
Aleppo. See Halab
Amanus mountains, 91
Amatha, thermal springs, 83
'Amman (Rabbath Ammon,
Philadelphia), 56, 11, 85, 97,
98 ; its products, 70
Al Amn (Elim ?), 65
Amygdalon Pool, 40
'Amwas (Emmaus), 60
An jar, 96
'Annabah Village, 33
Antakiyyah (Antioch), 8, 14, 85,
93 ; river of, 82
Antarsus or Antartus (Antara-
dus, Tortosa), 10
Antichrist, to be slain at the
Gate of Lydda, 59
Antioch. See Antakiyyah
Antipatris, of the Crusaders
(ArsCif), 54 ; its real site (Kafar
Saba), 60
Aphek, 94
Apollonia (Arsfif)> 54
Apollonia Syrae (Bulunyas), 10
Ar Moab, or Areopolis. See
Maab
ic6
THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA.
Arafat, day of, 78
Ariha (Jericho), 55, 11, 2>s, 87,
88, 96, 97 ; its products, 69 ;
its water, 81
Aristotle, 83
Arjamush, 10
'Arkah, the Arkites (Area, or
Arcados), 25, 10
Arsuf (Apollonia), 11, 62, 96, 97
Artichoke, 71
Ashdod, 97
Ashura, day of, 78
^Askalan (Ascalon), 54, 11, 62,
96-98
Al 'Askar, Quarter of Ramlah,
33
Asparagus, 71
Asses, used for riding, 79
Al Atharib, 93
Atrabulus (IVipoli), 10
Auranitis (Hauran), 11
Al Auza'i, the Traditionist, 67
Al Awasim district, its taxes, 92
Azdud (Ashdod), 97
Baalah, 34
Ba'albakk (HeliopoHs), 10, 26^
66, 93, 94, 96 ; its products,
70
Bab (Gate). See also under
Darb '
Bab al 'Araarah (Damascus
Mosque), 20
Bab al 'Amiid (Jerusalem), 38
Bab Antakiyyah (Aleppo), 13
Bab al Arba'in (Aleppo), 13
Bab Ariha (Jerusalem), 38
Bab al Asbat (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 46
Bab al 'Atm (Haram Area, Jeru-
salem), 46
Bab al Balat (Jerusalem), 38
Bab al Barid ( Damascus Mosque),
19
Bab Birkat Bani Israil (Haram
Area, Jerusalem), 46
Bab Dar al Battikh (Aleppo),
13
Bab Daud (Haram Area, Jeru-
salem), 47
Bab ad Dawadariyyah (Haram
Area, Jerusalem), 46
Bab al Faradis (Damascus), 16
Bab al Faraj (Damascus), 16
Bab al Ghawanimah (Haram
Area, Jerusalem), 47
Bab al Hadid (Damascus), 16
Bab al Hadid (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 47
Bab al Hashimiyyin (Haram
Area, Jerusalem), 47
Bab Hims (Aleppo), 13
Bab Hittah (Haram Area, Jeru-
salem), 46, 2
Bab Ibrahim (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 47
Bab al 'Irak (Aleppo), 13
Bab Israfil (Dome of the Rock,
Jerusalem), 44
Bab al Jabiyah (Damascus), 16
Bab al Janaiz (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 46
Bab al Janan (Aleppo), 13
Bab al Jannah (Dome of the
Rock), 45
Bab Jayrun (Damascus Mosque),
Bab el Jellik or Jennik (Damas-
cus), 16
Bab Jubb Armiya (Jerusalem),
38
Bab al Kabir (Damascus), 16
Bab al Kattanin (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 47
Bab al Khalil (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 47
Bab al Khalil (in Wall of Jeru-
salem, also called Jaffa Gate),
39
Bab al Kibli (Dome of the Rock,
Jerusalem), 44
Bab Kinnasrin (Aleppo), 13
INCLUDING PALESTINE.— INDEX.
107
lltb al Matarah, or al Mutawadda
(Haram Area, Jerusalem), 47
Bib Mihrab Dafid (Jerusalem),
38
Bab Mihrab Maryam (Haram
Area, Jerusalem), 46
Bab Mikail (Haram Area, Jeru-
salem), 47
Bab al Muhamaliyyin (Damas-
cus), 16
Bab an Nabi (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 46
Bab an Nabi Dafid (Jerusalem),
38
Bab an Nahas al A'tham (Aksa
Mosque, Jerusalem), 42
Bab an Nahr (Damascus), i6
Bab an Nasr (Aleppo), 13
Bab an Nasr (Damascus), 16
Bab an Nathir (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 47
Bab an Natifiyyin (Damascus
Mosque), 22
Bab an Nisa (Dome of the
Rock, Jerusalem), 44
Bab ar Rahbah (Jerusalem), 38
Bab ar Rahmah (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 46
Bab ar Rakkah (Aleppo), 13
Bab as Sa'at (Damascus Mosque),
20
Bab as Saghir (Damascus), 16
Bab as Sahirah (Jerusalem), 38
Bab as Sakinah (Haram Area), 2
Bab as Salamah or Bab as
Salam (Damascus), 16
Bab as Sarai (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 47
Bab ash Shaghur (Damascus),
16
Bab ash Sharki (Damascus), i6
Bab Sihyfin (Jerusalem), 38
Bab as Silsilah (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 47
Bab Silwan (Jerusalem), 38
Bab Sirr (Jerusalem), 38
Bab as Sfir (Dome of the Rock,
Jerusalem), 44, 2
Bab as Surmayatiyyah (Damas-
cus Mosque), 20
Bab at Tih (Jerusalem), 38
Bab Tiima (Damascus), 16
Bab Umm Khalid (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 47
Bab al Walid (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 47
Eab al Yahud (Aleppo), 13
Bab az Ziyadah (Damascus
Mosque), 20
Baise. See Bayyas
Bairat (Berytus), 25, 10, 94, 95
Baisan (Bethshean, Scythopolis),
29, II, 85, 95, 97 ; its water,
81 ; its products, 69, 70
Baisar, a dish, 80
Bait 'Ainun, raisins from, 69
Bait Dijan, S3
Bait Jibril (Bait Jibrin, Eleu-
theropolis), 53, 11, 85, 96,
97
Bait Lahm (Bethlehem), 50
j Bait Libya, 1 1
I Bait al Makdis (see also Jeru*
! salem), 11
Bait ar Ram, 97 ; its water, 81
Bait Sar a, 94
Balanea, 10
Al Balat, 34
Balis (Barbalissus), 13, 8, 14
Bal'isiyyah cloth, 70
Balka District, 56, 66, S8
Banana, 69, 71
Baniki, 9
Baniyas (Bulunyas), on the
coast, 10
Baniyas (Paneas, Caisarea
Philippi), 24, 10, 82, 85, 94,
95 ; its water, 81
Barada river, 8
Barbalissus. See Balis
Barid or Post Stage, 75
Barleycorn, weight, 74
io8
THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Bathaniyyah (Batansea), ii, 26,
94
Bath-houses of Gadara, 83
Bayyas (Baiae), 8
Beans, dishes of, peculiar to
Syria, 80
Belus River, 2
Berothah (Berytus, Bairut?), 25
Beth Annabam and Betho
x^nnaba, 2)2>
Beth Dagon, 33
Beth Gubrin (Bait Jibril), 53
Bethlehem, 50
Bethshean. See Baisan
Bika' Territory, 10, 11, 85
Bir Ayyiib, 49
Birkat Bani Israil (Jerusalem),
.39
Birkat Hammam al Butrak, 40
Birkat 'lyad (Jerusalem), 39
Birkat Sulaiman (Jerusalem), 39
Bostra, Bozra, 3
Bread, made with lentil-flour,
80 ; made with acorn-flour.
Bridge over the Jordan, 27
Buffalo-milk, 55, 71
Bulunyas (Balanea or Baniyas),
10
Bunni fish, 28
Al Burak Pool, 40
Busra (Bozrah, Bostra), 3
Cab, a measure, 73
Cabul, II
Caesarea of the Lebanon ('Arkah),
26
Caesarea of Palestine. See
Kaisariyyah
Caesarea Philippi. See Baniyas
Canaan, Valley of, 2, 26
Capernaum, not Tell Keniseh,
96
Carat, weight, 72
Carob fruit, the Locust-tree, or
St. John's Bread, 69, 72, 80
Castle, or Citadel of Jerusalem,
37
Castle of Goliath at 'Amman, 56
Castle of Plans (Kalansuwah),
95
Cavar Salim (Kafar Sallam ?),
61
Cavern (of Korah?), at Jerusalem,
Chalcis, 13
Chalcis ad Belum, 96
Chalk Hills, 80
Chalk, used in the Waterless-
ablution, 86
Chalus river, 12
Chara, 93
China Sea (Red Sea), 82
Christians, the, generally assayers,
dyers, bankers, and tanners in
Syria, 77
Christians and Jews in Jeru-
salem, 37
Christmas festival, 76
Church of Bali'ah, 34
Church of Constantine at Bethle-
hem, 50
Church of St. Jeremiah, 34
Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
(at Jerusalem), 23
Church of the Sepulchre of Mary
(Jerusalem), 49
Cisterns in Haram Area at
Jerusalem, 40
Cities of Lot, Site of, 52, 63
Cities of Solomon, 85
Climate of Syria, 65
Commerce of Syria, 68
Coele Syria, 1 1
Covered Part, or Main Building
of a Mosque, 42
Cross, feast of the, 77
Cydonian apple, or Quince, 71
Cyprus, 82
Daibud cloth, 70
Dair Shamwil. 80
INCLUDING PALESTINE.-INDEX.
109
Dajfin (Beth Dagon), ^^^
Dakyands, or Dakiyus (the
Emperor Decius), 5
Dalam, Sandfly, 54
* Damascene ' 1' igs, 60
Damascus (Dimashk), District,
10 ; its taxation, 92
Damascus, City, 15, 85, 93, 94;
its products, 70 ; INIosque of,
17; origin of the name, 23;
water of, 81
Damascus Gate (Jerusalem), 39
Danik, the sixth of the Dirham,
or Dinar, 73
Ad Dara'ah, 93
Darayya, 10, 12
Darb (Gate) Bait al Makdis, D.
Bila'ah, D. Bir al Askar, D.
Dajun, D. Ludd, D. Masjid
'Annabah, D. Misr, D. Yafa,
(at Ramlah), 33
Daroma or Ad Darum District,
53 .
Daud ibn Ali, the Traditionist,
67
Day's journey, or march, 93
Dead Sea, 63, 82, 84 ; medicinal
properties of its waters, 84
Deiran District, 53
Desert of the Wandering of the
Children of Israel, 64
Dewfall in Palestine, 84
Dhira' Maliki, ell, 48
Dibs, syrup, 69
Dinar and Dirham, the ancient
' Denarius ' and ' Drachma,'
72, 74
Dome of the Sepulchre of Abra-
ham, at Hebron, 50
Dome of the Rock, Kubbat as
Sakhrah (Haram Area, Jeru-
salem), 44 ; built by Abd al
Malik, 23
Dome. See under Kubbat
Dress of the Syrians, 78, 79
Dung Gate of Jerusalem, 39
Dflrah, and the Dflri raisins, 69
Durra'ah, or vest, 79
Easter festival, 76
Ebal and Gerizim, 55
Edom. See Ash Sharah
Edrei. See Adhra'ah
Ekron. See 'Akir
Elath. See Wailah
Eleutheropolis. See Bait Jibril
Elim (?), 65
Emesa. See Hims.
Emmaus Nicopolis, 60
En Rogel, 49
Epiphania. See Hamah
Faisar, a dish, 80
Al Faradhiyyah, 29, 11
Farsakh (the Greek Parasang)
or league, 17, 94
Festivals observed in Syria, 76-
78
Figs called As Sabai, ana of
Damascus, 7 1 ; At Tamri fig,
72 ; dried figs called Kuttain,
69
Fik, 94, 95
Filastin (Palestine), District of,
11; its taxation, 92 ; its
products, 69
Al Firma, 35
Fish called Bunni,
Furn, ovens, 79
Gabalah, Gibellum, or Gibellus
Major (Jabalah), 10
Gable-roofs of Mosques in Syria,
75
Gadara, thermal springs at, 83
Garum Sauce, 81
Gate. See under Bab and Darb
Gaza. See Ghazzah
Gaulonitis, 11
Gerasa, 29
Gerizim, 55
Germanicia, 9
THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA,
Al Ghamr (Gomorrah ?), 63, 97
Ghassan the Physician, 66
Ghaur, the Jordan Valley, 66,
Ghautah of Damascus, 94
Ghazzah (Gaza), 53, 11, 62, 96,
97
Ghirarah, measure, 73, 74
Ghurjistan, The Ruler of, his
Charity at Hebron, 52
Ghutah Territory, 26, 11
Gibelin (Bait Jibril), 53
Giscala, 31
Golden Gate of Jerusalem, 46,
38
Gomorrah. See Al Ghamr
Grain, weight, 73, 74
Grapes, of Eshcol, 69 ; called
'Asimi, 71
Greek Sea (Mediterranean), 82
Guest-house of Hebron, 51
Gulf of Akaba, 3
Habb, or Grain weight, 73,
74
Habra(Masj id Ibrahim, Hebron),
50. 96, 97
Al Hajjaj, the Arab, and the
she-camel, ;^6
Halab (Aleppo), 12, 8, 14, 85,
93, 94 ;. its products, 70
Halfa-reed (Papyrus ?), 28
Hamah (Hamath, Epiphania),
8, 94
Al Hammah, 83, 84
Haram Area ( j erusalem), Dimen-
sions of, 48
Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf, his
Tomb, 53
Hashmush, 11
Hauran (Auranitis), 11, 26, 94
Al Hawiyyah, 6
Hawwarah, Chalk hills, 80
Hebron, 50, 96, 97
Hebron Gate (Jerusalem), 39^
Heliopolis, 10
Hermits of the Lebanon Moun-
tains, 90
Hermon, Mount, 24, 25
Herod's Gate (Jerusalem), 39
Hierapolis, 8
Himayah, or Property Tax, 92
Hims (Emesa), District, 9 ; its
taxation, 92
Hims (Emesa), City, 15, 85, 93,
94 ; talisman at, 84
Hinnom, Valley of (Jerusalem),.
.49.
Hippicus Tower, 37
Hisn al Khawabi, 10
Holy Places, 81
Honey, 81
Horses, for riding, 79
House of Gabriel (Bait Jibril),
53
Hulah Lake (Waters of Merom),
28, 82
Hulah Territory, 26, 11
Ibn Amir's reading of the Kuran,
68
Ibn Khurdadbih, 92
Ibn Tulun fortifies the Port of
Acre, 30
Ijon, 95
Iliya (and see Jerusalem), 34
Indigo, 69
Iron mines, 80
Iskandarunah, 8
Istakhr (Persepolis), 35
Tyad ibn Ghanm, 40
Ja'afar at Tayyar, 6^
Jabal 'Ajlim, 29
Jabal 'Amilah, 28, 29
Jabal Jarash, 29
Jabal al Jaulan, 90
Jabal Lubnan (Lebanon Moun-
tains), 90, 96
Jabal Lukkam, 91
Jabal Nusrah, 51
Jabal Siddika, 89
INCLUDING PALESTINE. -INDEX.
Jabal Sikkin, 91
Jabal Zaita. (Mount of Olives),
5o» 89
Jabalah, 10
Jabbok river, 98
Jabneh or Jabneel, and Jarnnia,
60
Jaffa Gate (Jerusalem), 39
Jalabah, Boats peculiar to the
Red Sea, 64
Jamalan, the Gable-roof, 75
Jarib, measure, 75
Al Jashsh (Giscala), 31, 95, 96
Jasim, 94
Jaulan (Gaulonitis), 26, 11
Jericho. See Ariha
Jerusalem (Bait al Makdis, Al
Balat, Iliya), 34, 85, 87, 88,
95-97 ') its products, 69 ; its
water, 81
Jerusalem, Limits of its Territory,
Jewish physicians and scribes in
_ Syria, 77
Jisr al Majami'ah, 27
Job, his Land, 26
Job's Well (Kedron Valley), 49
Joppa or Jaffa. See Yafah
Jordan river, 82, 97 ; source of,
25 ; bridge over, 27
Jordan District. See under Al
Urdunn
Jubb Yiisuf (Joseph's Pit)^ 94
Jurisprudists, in Syria, 77
Jusiyah (Paradisus), 8, 93
Kabb, measure (Cab, the Greek
Kabos), 73
KS.bul (Cabul), 29, 11, 85
Kadam Kuraish. See Kuraish-
bite
Kadas (Kadesh Naphthali), 28,
II, 82, 85, 94, 95; its pro-
ducts, 70
Kafar Kila, 95
Kafar Tab, 10, 94
Kafar Saba, 60, 11, 95-98
Kafar Salldm, 60, 11, 96-98
Kafiz, measure, 72-75
Kafur, the Ikhshidi, 68
Kafuri plum, 71
Kailajah, measure, 72-74
Ka-in, 35
Kaisariyyah (Caesarea of Pales-
■ tine), 55, Ji
Kalends, festival, 77
Kalansuwah, 95, 97
Kal'at Seijar, 9
Kal'at Zarka, 98
Kamid (al Lauz), 10
Al Kanisah, 96, 98
Kanut te:
Kara, 93
Karrdmites, 67, 76
Kariyat al Tnab, 34
Kariyat al 'Uyun (Ijon), 95
Al Kar'un, 96
Al Kastal, 93
Kawus, 97
Kedron Valley, 49
Al Khadra Palace at Damascus,
22
Khalif 'Abd al'Aziz, 23
Khalif 'Abd al Malik, his Insti-
tution of the Servants of the
Jerusalem Mosque, 48 ; con-
tinues Aksa Mosque, 41
Khalif Hisham, 34, 94
Khalif al Mahdi rebuilds the
Aksa Mosque, 41
Khalif Muawiyah, 22
Khalif al IMuktadir's Mother,
her Gift of a Door for the
Dome of the Rock, 45
Khalif 'Othman, his Bequests to
the Poor of Jerusalem, 49
Khalif Omar, his Monument at
Gaza, 53 ; his Injunction as
to the Aksa Mosque, 47
Khalif Sulaiman, 22, 32
Khalif al Walid builds Damascus
Mosque, 18
112
THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA.
Khankah, or Cloister of the
Karramites at Jerusalem, 67
Kharaj, State Land-tax, 92
Khirfan, ' Lambs ' (a kind of
date?), 70
Al Khunasirah, 10
Khurbat Yakin, 52
Kin'an, Valley of, 2, 26
Kinnasrin, District, 4, 8 ; its
taxation, 92
Kinnasrin, City (Chalcis), 13, 93,
94
Kirat (carat), 72-74
Kirjath-jearim, 34
Kisa, shirt, 79
Al Kisai's reading of the Kuran,
68
Kist, Measure, 48
Korah and his Companions, 83
Kubbait, sweetmeat, 72, 80
Kubbat al Arwah (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 44
Kubbat al Khaznah (Damascus
Mosque), 18, 21
Kubbat al Mi'raj (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 42
Kubbat an Nabi (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 44
Kubbat an Nasr (Damascus
Mosque), 21
Kubbat an Naufarah (Damascus
Mosque), 21
Kubbat as Sa'at (Damascus
Mosque), 21
Kubbat as Silsilah (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 42
Kubrus (Cyprus), 82
Kumamah (Church of the Holy
Sepulchre at Jerusalem), 23
Kuraish-bite, sweetmeat, 69
Kuran-readers, 68, 76
Al Kusaifah, 52
Kuswah, 94
Kuttain, dried figs, 69
Al Kutayyifah, 93
Kuwaik River (the Chalus), 12
Al Ladhikiyyah (Laodicea ad
Mare), 10, 93
Al Ladhikiyyah (Laodicea Com-
busta, Ladik), 6
Lailat al Kadar, the Night of
Fate, 78
Lajjun (Legio), two towns of
that name, 9
Lajjun, in the Kinnasrin Dis-
trict, 8
Al Lajjun (Legio, Megiddo?),
29» ii» S5, 95
Lake of Tiberias, 27, 82
Laodicea. See Ladhikiyyah
Larissa, 9
Lebanon Mountains, 25
Legio. See Lajjun
Lepers, 66
Lettuce, 72
Locust-tree. See under Carob
Lot, Cities of, 52, 63 ; Stones of,
Lotus-fruit, or Jujube, 7 1
Ludd (Lydda), 59 ; Festival, 77
Lupin, 71, 80
Maab (Rabbath Moab), Gt,, ii,
S5, 97} 98 ; its products, 70
Ma'arrah Kinnasrin, 8
Ma'arrah Masrin or Nasrin, 9
Ma'arrah an Nu'man, 8
Madhanet al 'Arus, M. Tsa, and
M. al Gharbiyyah (Damascus
Mosque) 20, 21. See also
Minaret
Madyan (Midian), 64, 11, 92
Al Maghrah (the red chalk called
Rubrica Sinopica), 70, 80
Mahuz Azdud, and IMahuz
Yubna, 62, 97
Maimas (Maiuma, Majuma of
Gaza), 54, II, 62
Majdal Salam, 96
Makam Nabi Yakfn, 52
Makkuk, measure, 72-74
Makna (Midian ?), 64
INCLUDING PALESTINE.— INDEX.
^n
Maksurah in Damascus Mosque,
22
Malban, sweetmeat, 70
Malik ibn Anas, the Traditionist,
67
Manbij (Hierapolis), 8, 93
Mandrake, fruit of, 71
Mantle of the Prophet at Adhruh, I
63
Mar'ash (Germanicia), 8
Marble quarries. Si
March or Day's Journey, 95
Mary, Tomb of, 49
Masjid al Abyad (Ramlah), 33
Masjid al Aksa (Jerusalem), 41
Masjid Ibrahim, 50, 96, 97
Al Masjid al Yakin, 52. See
also under Mosque
Massisah (Mopsuestia), 9
Measures of Syria, 72
Megiddo. See LajjQn
Merj Ayyun, 95
Merom, Waters of See Hfilah
Midian. See Madyan
Midra'ah, vest, 79
Mile, Arab, 94
Mimas. See Maimas
Mimtar, rain cloak, 79
Minaret in Damascus Mosque,
21
Minaret of the White Mosque at
Ramlah, 34 ; Minarets built
square in Syria, 75. See also
Madhanet
Mihrab (Niche), meaning of the
term, 17
Mihrab Maryam, M. al Khidr,
M. Ya'kub, M. Zakariyyah
(Haram Area, Jerusalem), 47
Mines and Minerals of Syria,
80
Mogrebin or Dung Gate of
Jerusalem, 39
Monastery of Shamwil, 89
Mopsuestia, 9
Mosaic- work, 17
Mosque of Omar (Haram Area,
Jerusalem), 41
Mosque of Omar on the Mount
of Olives, 50
Mosques, peculiarities of, in
Syria, 75
Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, 55
Mount of Olives, 50
Mount Sinai, 65
Mu'an, II
Mudi, the Medium, 72-74
Al Mughattah, the Covered Pan,
or Main Building of a Mosque,
42
Munayyir, cloth, 70
Muri, or Muria iauce, 81
Mutah, 63
Nabak-fruit, 27, 71
An Nabk, 93
Nabulus (Neapolis, Shechem),
55^ iij 85, 95-97; its water,
81
Nahr al Asi or Nahr al Makldb
(Orontes), 26, 82
Natif, sweetmeat, 80
Nawa (Neve), 26, 95
Neapolis. See Nabulus
Neby Samwil, 89
Nidah, Sweetmeat, 27
Night of Fate, and the Night ^^
Immunity, 78
An Nil. See Indigo
Ndrah, chalk used in the water-
less ablution, 86
Olive tree, on Mount Sinai, 65
Olives, Mount of, 50, 89
Omeyyad Mosque at Damascus,
17
Orontes River, 26
Oune (of Ptolemy), 11
Ovens, used by the Syrians,
79
Overwhelming Lake. See Dead
Sea
8
14
THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA.
Palatium = Balat, 34
Palestine. See Fifastin
Palm-tree of Jesus at Bethle-
hem, 50
Palmyra. See Tadmur
Paneas. See Baniyas'
Papyrus, 28
Paradisus, 9
Pavement of the Mosques in
Syria, 75
Pelusium, 35
Peter Bartholomaeus and the
Holy Lance, 25
Petra, or Wadi Musa, not Ar
Rakim, 56
Philadelphia. See 'Amman
Pool. See Birkat
Port of Acre, 30
Port of Tyre, 31
Prayer, forms of, common to
Syria, 75, 76
Prices of Provisions at Jerusa-
lem, 53
Products peculiar to Syria, 7 1
Prune, called At Tart, 71
Pulpit at Arsuf, 54
Quarries of Marble and Build-
ing Stone, 81
Rabath Ammon. See 'Amman
Rabbath-Moab. See Maab
Rafaniyyah (Raphania), 8
Rafh, 97
Ar Rakim near 'Amman, the
Story of its Cave, 56
Ar Rakkah, 93
Ramadan, fast of, 78
Ar Ramlah, 32, 11, 95-97; its
water, 81
Ransoming of Muslim Captives,
60
Raphania, 8
Rati (Rotl, or Ritl), weight, 75
Ar Ray (Rhages), 23
Red-sandstone, 80
Religious tenets of the Syrians,
66
Resurrection, place of the, 50
Rice Culture, 29
The Rock, Measurement of, 48
Roofs of Mosques in Syria, 75
Rosaries of Jerusalem, 70
Royal Ell, 48
Rubrica Sinopica, 70, 80
Ar Rusafah, 93
Sa', measure, 73
As Sahirah, the Plain of the
Resurrection, 50
Saida (Sidon), 25, 10, 94-96
Saif ad Daulah, 91 ; his Palace,
13
Sakar. See Sughar
As Sal a, 1 1
Salamiyyah (Salaminias), 9, 93
Salt, from the Dead Sea, 81
Samanu-porridge, 27
Samakah, Red Sandstone Hills,
So
Samaritans, 33, 66
Samosata, 8
Sanctuary of Siddika, 90
Scorpion sting, cure for, 84
Scribes in Syria, mostly Chris-
tians, 77
Scythopolis, 1 1
Sea of China (Gulf of Akaba), 3,
82
Segor, Ti, 62. See also Sughar
Seir, Mount (Ash Sharah, Edom),
II
Selucia Pieria, 8
I Serpent-bite, cure for, 84
I Seven Sleepers, the Cave of, 5
Shaddad ibn Aus, his Tomb, 50
Ash Shafi'i, the Traditionist, 67
Ash Shaibani, 4 ; his work the
Kitab al Ikrah, 32
Shaizar (Larissa), 9, 94
Ash Shajarah, 89
Sham, Syria, 4
INCLUDING PALESTINE.—INDEX.
'5
Shamsin, 93
Ash Sharah District (Edom,
Mount Seir), 1 1
Ash Sharah river, 84
Shechem, 11
Shi'ah Sect, 66
Siddika, his Tomb and Festival,
89, 90
Sidr Tree, 27
Siloam Inscription, 49. See also
under Sulwan
Sinai, 65
Snobur-pine, fruit of, 69
Solomon's Circus at 'Amman,
56
Solomon's Pools, 40
St. Barbara's Feast, 76
St. George's Feast, 77
St. John's Bread. See under
Carob
St. Simeon's Harbour. 8
St. Stephen's Gate, the modern
and the ancient, J9
Strouthion Pool, 40
Sufyan ath Thuri, 91
Sugar Culture, 29, 71
Sughar (Segor, Zoar), 62, 3, 11,
97 ; its products, 69 ; its
water, 81
Sughar, Lake of. See Dead Sea
As Sukkariyyah, 96, 97
Sulwan (Siloam), 48
Sumach, 71
Sumaisat (Samosata), 8
Sur (Tyre), 31, 11, 96; its
products, 70 ; its water, 81
As Suwaidiyyah, 8
Sycamore-fruit, 54
Syria, called Sham, meaning of
the name, 4
Syrian apple, 71
Ta'asir, 95
Tabariyyah (Tiberias), 26, 11,
85, 94-96; its products, 70;
its hot baths, 27, 83
Tabariyvah, Lake of, 82, 27
TabQk, 64, II, 85
Tadmur (i^almyra), 15, 9, 85
Tailasan, or Tarhah, veil, 79
Talismans, 84
Tamim ad.Dari, 51
Tank. See Birkat
Tannur bread ovens, 79
Tarabulus (Tripoli), 25, 10, 94,
95
Tarik al Madarij (the Road of
Ladders), 96
Tariyak (Theriack, Antidote), the
Tariyakiyyah Serpents, 56, 70
Tarsus, 5
Tartus (Tortosa), 10
Taxes and Tribute of Syria, 91,
92
At Tayammum, the waterless
ablution, discussion on, 86
Tell 'Arka, 25
Tell Dibbin, 95
Tell Keniseh, 96
Tell Kuseifeh, 52
Tell Rameh, 97
Tiberias. See Tabariyyah
Tih (Desert of the Wanderings),
64
At Tinah, 8
Tirzah, 95
Tombs of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, at Hebron, 51
Tomb of Hashim ibn 'Abd
Manaf at Gaza, 53.
Tomb of Siddika or Siddik,
89
Tombs, manner of the, m Syria,
78
Tortosa. See Tartus
Tradition of the Prophet on the
Men of Ar Rakim, 56
Tradition of the Prophet con
cerning Kinnasrin, 14
Traditionists, the, 67
Tripoli. See Tarabulus
Truffle, 71
Ii6
THE PROVINCE OF SYRIA, ETC.— INDEX,
At Tulail, 97
Tur Sina (Mount Sinai), 65
Two feasts, the, 78
Tyre. See Siir
'Ubadah ibn as Samit, his Tomb,
50-
Ubullah Canal, 23
Ukiyvah, ounce, 72-74
Al Urdunn (the Jordan) Dis-
trict, II ; its taxation, 92. See
also under Jordan
Uriah, 2
Valania, 10
Veredus = Barid, the Post Stage,
Virgin's Fount at Jerusalem, 49
Wadi Butnan, 8
Wadi Jahannam (Valley of
Kedron), 49 -
Wadi an Nu'man (Belus River),
2
Waibah, measure, 72-74
Wailah (Ailah or Elaih) 63, 11,
85,97
Walls of Jerusalem, 38
Watch Stations (Ribat) on the
Coast of Syria and Palestine,
60
Water, in Syria, 81
Water Lily, Colocasia, 71
Wall of Nehemiah (Jerusalem),
49
Weights used in Syria,. 76
The White Mosque (Ramlah),
3.3
Whitsuntide festival, 76
Windvane, Talisman at Hims,
84
Witr ritual, 68
Ya'ath, 93
Yafah, or Yafa (Joppa, Jaffa),
54, II, 62, 97, 98
Yahya ibn Aktham, 23
Yanbut, 69
Yubna (Jabneh or Jabneel), 60
Az Zabadani, to, 93
Az Zara'ah (?), 93
Az Zarika, or Zarka, 98
Zibel, 10
Zoar of Lot, 62.
Zu'airah, 97
Zughar. See Sughar
Zullabiyyah, cake, 80
StlLING d SONS. PRINTERS GUILDFO*a
Palestine pilgrims' ^ext §ocietg.
THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD
THE WISE.
(a.d. 870.)
HOW THE CITY OF JERUSALEM IS SITUATED,
(ciRC. A.D. 1090?)
^ranslateb
BY
J. H. BERNARD, D.D.,
FELLOW OK TRINITY COLLEGE, DI»BLIN.
LONDON:
24, HANOVER SQUARE, W
1893.
THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD THE WISE.^
(A.D. 870.)
Here beginneth the itinerary of three monks, viz., of ^
Bernard and his companions, about the Holy Places and
about Babylon.
The Description of the places that Bernard the Wise
saw, as he went to or returned from Jerusalem ; of Jerusalem
itself and the surrounding places.
I. In the nine hundred^ and seventieth year of the ^^
Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, these things were
ascertained by us. Wishing, in the name of the Lord, to
see the places of the saints at Jerusalem, I, Bernard, asso-
ciated myself in the devotion of charity with two brethren,
of whom one was from the monastery of Blessed Vincent
of Beneventum, by name Theudemundus, the other a
Spaniard, by name Stephen. And so obtaining audience
of Pope Nicholas in the City [of Rome], we gained the Rome,
desired permission to set forth, along with his blessing and
assistance.
II. Having set out from thence we came to Mount Mount
Garganus, where is a Church of S. Michael under one "S^"^^
stone, above which are acorn-bearing oaks. The arch-
angel himself is said to have dedicated this church. Its
entrance is on the north side, and it can hold sixty meT\
Inside at the east end there is an image of the angel ; and
1 The text printed by Tobler is followed throughout.
2 So the MSS. ; but it is plain from internal evidence that the
pilgrimage was made 100 years before this. The mention of Pope
Nicholas in § i is of itself sufficient to establish this. Cf. also § xxiv.
4 THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD THE WISE.
at the south side there is an altar, upon which the Sacrifice
is offered, no other gift being placed there. Before the
altar itself a certain vessel is hung, in which the offerings
are put ; this has other altars near it. The abbot of the
place was called Benignatus ; he presided over a large
number of brethren.
III. Journeying from Mount Garganus for 150 miles, we
Barrium. came to a city of the Saracens, called Barrium, formerly
subject to the sway of the people of Beneventum. This
city, situated above the sea, is fortified on the south side
by two very wide walls ; on the north side it is exposed to
the sea. And seeking the chief man of the city, by name
Suldanus, we got all the arrangements of our voyage settled
— by two letters, the text of which letters gave an account of
our appearance and our route to the chief man of Alex-
andria and of Babylon. For these men are under the sway
of Amarmominus who rules over all the Saracens, dwelling
in Bagada and Axinarri which are beyond Jerusalem.
IV. Setting out from Barrium we marched southward
Tarentum. for ninety miles as far as the port of the city of Tarentum,
where we found six ships, in which were nine thousand
^ captives of the Christians of Beneventum. In two of these
ships which set out first on their way to Africa were three
thousand captives ; other two, setting out subsequently,
conveyed in like manner three thousand to Tripoli.
V. Embarking at last in the remaining ships, in which
were also the aforesaid number of captives, we were con-
Aiexan- veyed to the port of Alexandria, the voyage lasting thirty
days. But wishing to go ashore we were prevented by the
captain of the crew, who was in command of sixty men.
However, in order that opportunity might be given us to
disembark, we gave him six golden pieces.
VI. Proceeding thence, we approached the chief man of
Alexandria, to whom we showed the letter that Suldanus
gave us ; but it availed us nothing, although he admitted
that he was not ignorant of the contents of the letter. As
he pressed us, we gave him, each of us, 300 denarii for
THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD THE WISE. 5
himself; and then he wrote letters for us to the chier
man of Babylonia. The habit of these men is, moreover,
to reckon by weight alone anything that can be weighed ;
and six solidi and six denarii of ours only make three
solidi and three denarii of theirs. This Alexandria is on
the sea. It was here that S. Mark preached the gospel and
became bishop. Beyond the eastern gate is the Monastery Sepulchre
of S. Mark ; there are monks here at the church where he
formerly lay. But Venetians coming by sea bore away his
body without the knowledge of its custodians, and brought
it to their own island. Beyond the western gate is a
monastery which is called after the Forty Saints, where
there is a like settlement of monks. The harbour is on
the north of the city ; the Gihon or Nile enters from the
south, which river irrigates Egypt and flows through the
midst of the city, entering the sea at the harbour before
mentioned.
VII. Entering here, we sailed southward six days and
came to the city of Babylonia in Egypt, where once King Babylonia.
Pharaoh ruled, under whom Joseph built seven granaries,
which yet remain. When we came to Babylonia, the
guards of the city led us to the chief man, a Saracen called
Adelacham, who inquired of us the purpose of our journey, ~^
and from what princes we had letters. Wherefore we showed
him the letters from Suldanus before mentioned and from
the chief man of Alexandria. Which availed us nothing, ^ •
for we were sent by him to prison ; until after six days it
occurred to us by the help of God to give him three hundred
denarii each as in the former case. He then also gave us
letters; and no one who saw these in any city or place soever
dared to extort anything further from us. For he was the
second man in the empire of the above mentioned Amar-
mominus. But after we entered the cities named below we
were not permitted to depart before we received a parch-
ment or a sealed document, which we used to obtain for
one or two denarii. There is in this city the patriarch Dom
Michael, who by the grace of God orders the affairs of the
THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD THE WISE.
Sitinuth.
Maalla.
Damiate.
Tanis.
bishops, monks and Christians throughout the whole of
Egypt. These Christians have this law with the heathen,
that each one pays for himself every year tribute to the
aforesaid prince, that so they may live securely and freely.
This tribute amounts to one or two or three golden pieces,
or, in the case of a person of lower station, thirteen denarii.
If however such an one cannot pay these thirteen denarii,
whether he be a native or a Christian stranger, he is sent
to prison, until either by the love of God he is delivered
by his angel, or else is bought out by other good Christians.
VIII. These things being so, we returned back by the river
Gihon three days' journey, and arrived at the city Sitinuth.
From Sitinuth we proceeded to Maalla, from Maalla we
crossed over to Damiate, which has the sea on the north
and on all sides the river Nile, except for a narrow strip of
land. Thence we voyaged to the city Tanis, where are
Christians exceeding religious, burning with hospitality.
This city has no land at all, except where the churches are;
there is showed the plain of Thaneos, where lie, like three
walls, the bodies of those who were destroyed in the time
of Moses.
IX. From Tanis we came to the city Ferama, where is a
church in honour of blessed Mary, in the place whither by
the counsel of the angel Joseph fled with the Child and
His mother. In this city there are a number of camels,
which strangers hire from the natives of the region for
carrying their baggage, on account of the desert journey of
six days. The entrance to this desert begins at the afore-
said city ; and well is it called a desert, for it produces
neither herb nor anything grown from seed, except palm
trees, but is white like the country in time of snow. Mid-
Albara. ^vay there are two hospices, one called Albara, the other
Albachara. Albachara, in which the business is done of purchasing
from Christians and pagans whatever is necessary for
travellers. But all round the land produces absolutely
nothing except what has been mentioned. From Alba-
chara on there is a fruitful country as far as the city Gaza,
Ferama.
Gaza.
THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD THE WISE. 7
which was Samson's city, a city exceeding rich in every-
thing.
X. Thence we came to Alariza. From Alariza we arrived Alaria.
at Ramula, near which is the monastery of the blessed RamuU.
martyr George, where he sleeps. From Ramula we pushed
on to the village of Emmaus. From Emmaus we arrived Emmaus.
at the holy city, Jerusalem, and were received into the Jerusalem,
hostel of the most glorious emperor Charles, where all are
admitted who come to this place for devotional reasons
and speak the Roman tongue. Close to it is a church in Church of
honour of S. Mary, which has a noble library through the ^' ^^^'
care of the aforesaid emperor, with twelve dwelling-houses,
fields, vineyards and a garden in the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
Before the hostel is the market, for which each person who
lives there pays two golden pieces annually to the man
who superintends it.
XI. Within this city, four churches, not to speak of others,
are notable, joined to each other by partition walls which
they have in common. Viz., there is one church to the j^
east, which contains Mount Calvary and the place where Calvary,
the Lord's cross was found ; it is called Constantine's Constan
' tine s
Basilica. There is another to the south, and a third to the Basilica,
west, in the midst of which is the Lord's Sepulchre, with Jhe Lord's
^ Sepulchre.
nme pillars round it, the partition walls between which are
of the very best stones. Of these nine pillars, four are in
front of the tomb itself, which with their joining walls shut
off the stone placed in front of the sepulchre which the
angel rolled away and upon which he sat after the Resur-
rection of the Lord was accomplished. Of this sepulchre
it is not necessary to write more, since Bede describes it
sufficiently in his history. However, this should be told
that on Holy Saturday, i.e., Easter eve, the office is begun
early in this church, and after the office is done, Kyn'e eleison
is chanted, until by the coming of an angel, the light is
kindled in the lamps that hang above the aforesaid sepulchre.
The patriarch gives this fire to the bishops and to the rest The sacred
of the people, that each may with it light up his own home.
8 THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD THE WISE.
This patriarch was called Theodosius, who for the merit of
his devoutness, was carried by the Christians from his
monastery, distant 15 miles from Jerusalem, and made
patriarch over all Christians in the Land of Promise.
Between the above four churches there is an unroofed
court, the walls of which blaze with gold ; the pavement is
made of the most precious stone. In its midst there is a
space marked out by four chains coming from the above
four churches ; and here it is said is the centre of the
world.
XII. Moreover in the city there is yet another church, to
Church of the south, in Mount Sion, called the Church of S. Simeon,
where the Lord washed the feet of His disciples. In this
hangs the Lord's crown of thorns, and here it is reported
Church of that S. Mary died. Near which to the east is a church in
^hen*^ honour of S. Stephen, in the place where he is said to have
Church of been stoned. Further east is a church in honour of blessed
S. Peter. Peter in the place where he denied the Lord. To the north
Temple, j^ Solomon's temple, which contains the synagogue of the
gogue. Saracens. To the south are iron gates through which the
angel of the Lord led Peter forth from prison, which yet
afterward were not open.
Valley of XIII. Goins^ forth from Jerusalem we descended to the
Jehosha- ° ■'
phat. Valley of Jehoshaphat, distant a mile from the city, contain-
Geth- ing the Garden of Gethsemane, with the birthplace of S.
g J j^j. Mary, where there is a very large church in honour of her.
of S.Mary. In the garden also is the round church of S. Mary, where
is her sepulchre, which, having no roof over it, stands rain
the^Be- ° badly. In the same place is a church, where the Lord was
trayal. betrayed, with the four round tables of His Supper. Also
in the Valley of Jehoshaphat there is a church in honour
of S. Leontius, in which it is said the Lord will come to
judgment.
Mount of XIV. Thence we proceeded to the Mount of Olives, on
the slope of which is shown the place of the Lord's prayer
to His Father. On the side of this mountain is shown the
place where the Pharisees brought to the Lord the woman
THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD THE WISE. 9
that was taken in adultery ; it has a church in honour of Church of
S. John, in which is preserved the writing on marble, which
the Lord wrote on the ground.
XV. On the top of this oft-mentioned mountain, one
mile from the Valley of Jehoshaphat, is the place of the
Lord's Ascension to the Father, having a round church
without a roof, in the midst of which, z.e.j on the site of the church of
Lord's Ascension, there is an altar under the open sky, on the Ascen-
which the solemnities of the Mass are celebrated.
XVL Thence we crossed over to Bethany, which is to Bethany,
the south as you go down the mountain, distant one mile
from the Mount of Olives. Here there is a monastery,
whose church displays the sepulchre of Lazarus. Near it TheSepul-
there is, to the north, a pond, in which, by the command of jj^^
the Lord, Lazarus bathed himself when he was raised ; he
is said afterwards to have been bishop in Ephesus for forty
years. As you go down the Mount of Olives on the western
side there is shown a block of marble, from which the Lord
mounted on ^/le foal of an ass. Between these to the
south, in the valley of Jehoshaphat, is the pool of Siloam.
XVIL When we departed from Jerusalem, crossing over Beth-
to Bethlehem, six miles from the place of the Lord's
nativity, we were shown the field where Habakkuk was The field
working when the angel of the Lord commanded him to J^i^^ *
carry his dinner to Daniel to Babylon.^ (Babylon, where
Nebuchadnezzar reigned, is to the south; serpents and wild
beasts now inhabit it.) Bethlehem has a very great church
in honour of S. Mary, in the midst of which is a crypt ^^^*^^ "'
under one stone. The way in is on the south side ; the
way out on the east. Here is shown the manger of the
Lord at the west of the crypt ; the spot where He cried is
at the east, and has an altar where Mass is celebrated.
Near this church, southward, is the church of those blessed Church of
martyrs, the Innocents. Finally, one mile from Bethlehem, ^ents."
is the monastery of the holy shepherds, to whom the angel
appeared at the Lord's Nativity.
1 See Bel and the Dragon^ 34.
lo THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD THE WISE.
Monastery XVIII. Lastly, thirty miles eastward from Jerusalem is
th \^^^^ the Jordan, over which is the monastery of S. John the
tist. Baptist. In these parts also there are many monasteries
established.
XIX. Meanwhile, one mile to the west of the city of
Church of Jerusalem is the church of S. Mamilla, in which are many
miiia. bodies of martyrs, who, being slain by the Saracens, were
diligently buried there by her.
XX. Returning then from Jerusalem, the holy city, we
came to the sea. And embarking we sailed for sixty days
with very great difficulty, not having a fair wind. At length,
Mount leaving the sea, we came to Mount Aureus, where there is
a crypt with seven altars, with a great wood also above it.
On account of the gloom no one can enter this crypt, save
with burning lights. The abbot there was Dom Valen-
tinus.
Rome. XXI. Coming from Mount Aureus we arrived at Rome.
In this city on the eastern side, in the place called the
Church of Lateran, is a well-built church in honour of S. John the
Baptist, where is the proper seat of the successors of the
Apostles. There every night are the keys of the whole city
brought to the successor of the Apostles. On the western
Church of side is the church of blessed Peter, the chief of the Apostles,
S Peter.
where his body rests. In size there is no church like it on
the whole earth ; it contains also various ornaments. In
which city also rest countless bodies of saints.
XXII. At this city we were separated from each other ;
S. Michael I came subsequently to S. Michael of the Two Tombs,
the^sea. ° which place is situate in a mountain that stretches out into
the sea for two leagues. At the top of this mountain is a
church in honour of S. Michael ; the sea surrounds the
mountain twice every day, i.e., morning and evening, and the
mountain cannot be approached until the sea has retired.
But on the Feast of S. Michael, as the sea flows round the
mountain it is contracted, and stands like a wall on the
right hand and on the left. And on that solemn day all
who may have come to prayer can approach the mountain
THE ITINERARY OF BERNARD THE WISE. ii
at any hour, which they could not do on other days. The
abbot there is Phinimontius, a Briton.
XXIII. Finally, let me tell you how Christians observe
God's law in Jerusalem and in Egypt. The Christians and
pagans have this kind of peace between them there, that
if I were going a journey, and on the way the camel or ass
which bore my poor luggage were to die, and I were to
abandon all my goods there without any guardian, and go
to the city for another pack animal, when I came back,
I would find all my property uninjured : such is the peace
there. But if in the city, or at sea, or on a journey, they
were to find a man walking by night, or even by day,
without a parchment or seal of some king or prince of the
country, forthwith he would be ordered to be shut up in
prison until the day should come when he could give an
account of himself, as to whether he was a spy or not.
XXIV. The people of Beneventum slew their prince Bene-
Sichardus for his pride, and quite destroyed the law of the ^<^^'"™-
Christians. Then they had quarrels and contentions among
themselves, until Lewis, the brother of Lothair and Charles,
at the invitation of these people of Beneventum, accepted
the empire over them. But in Romania many bad things Romania,
are done, and there are there bad men, thieves and robbers ;
and so those who wish to go to S. Peter cannot cross
Romania unless they be a numerous and well-armed com-
pany. Lombardy, where the above-named Lewis reigns, is bardy.
tolerably quiet. The Britons also have peace among them. The
They have the following custom : if a man does an injury
to another and a third man comes by and sees it, he must,
whoever he be, avenge the injury as if he were a kinsman.
And if a man is found guilty of a theft beyond the value of
four denarii, they either kill him or hang him on a forked
stick.
XXV. Finally, in the valley of Gethsemane we saw Geth-
square marble stones of such fine quality, that anything ^^"*"«-
one wished could be seen in them as in a mirror.
HOW
THE CITY OF JERUSALEM IS SITUATED.i
Description of the Holy Places.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whosoever wishes to go to the holy city, Jerusalem, let
him always direct his course towards the sun rising ; and
Jerusalem. SO, God being his guide, shall he come to the holy Jeru-
The salem. From the western side the Mount of Joy is a con-
joy, spicuous object ; and from this mountain it is one mile to
TheTower the city. At the entrance of the city the Tower of David
is deemed a strong one. The temple of the Holy Sepulchre
The Holy is round, and above the Holy Sepulchre in the roof of the
Sepulchre. . . i n r i
temple there is a round dome. In the middle of the temple
is the Sepulchre of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is quite
round outside, but within it is square. The entrance gate
is at the south ; but there is another gate on the west side,
and yet another facing southward. That is, men enter by
the south gate, and also by another gate of the Sepulchre,
which is single ; but they go out by the southward gate. On
the east side is the centre of the world. Not far eastward
Mount is Mount Calvary, where the Lord was crucified ; under
rxoWhn w^ich mount is Golgotha. From this mount the sepulchre
is distant a stone's throw. On the left of Mount Calvary is
a prison ; and near the prison on the left side is the pillar
to which the Lord was bound. Northward from the Holy
1 The date of this tract is uncertain ; but it is probably older than
the First Crusade.
Golgotha.
HOW THE CITY OF JERUSALEM IS SITUATED. 13
Sepulchre is the Latin church of S. Mary. Eastward from Latin
Mount Calvary is the place where S. Helena found the ^' ^"^'
Cross of the Lord. Thence eastward again is the Beautiful
Gate which leads to the Temple of the Lord. This temple The
is round ; it has three gates, and is surrounded by a very theTord!
conspicuous court. In the middle of this temple is the
temple not made with hands, i.e., the tabernacle ; Aaron's
rod, and the head of Zacharias the son of Barachias, and
the altar which Jacob built to the Lord, and the two Tables
of the Covenant, and the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord,
and the manna on which the Children of Israel fed in the
desert, are believed to be in it. In the roof of the temple
hangs a golden lamp.
To the south of the Temple of the Lord is the Temple The
^ c' 1 Temple of
OX bolomon. Solomon.
To the east of the Temple of the Lord outside the gate The pool
of the court is the pool by the sheep gate, having five porches, sheep^cate
Thence as you go eastward out of the city is the Valley The Valley
of Jehoshaphat, where are the church and venerable °/-^^?°"
sepulchre of the most holy and venerable Mary, and also
the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Lord prayed with
His disciples, and where He was betrayed by His disciple,
Judas the traitor.
Thence eastward is the Mount of Olives, whence the Mount of
Lord ascended into heaven, and where He wrote the Lord's
Prayer for His disciples. One mile from the Mount of
Olives is the tomb from which the Lord raised Lazarus,
when he had been dead four days. More than six leagues
eastward is the place where the Lord fasted forty days,
and where He was tempted of the devil, but not overcome.
From this mountain it is six miles to the Jordan. More Jordan,
than four miles south from Jerusalem is Bethlehem, the Bethle-
city of David, where Christ was born ; and the well whereon ^™*
the star descended, which led the wise men to adore the
Child.
Outside the gate of Jerusalem eastward, and hard by, is
Mount Sion, where S. Mary departed from the world. sion.°
14 HOW THE CITY OF JERUSALEM IS SITUATED.
Aceldama. Not far off is Aceldama, that is, the field of blood.
From thence also not far southward is the Pool^of Siloam.
Under the mountain near the city walls is the place where
S. Peter wept after he denied Christ. Northward beyond
the city gate is the place where S. Stephen was stoned.
And thus are situate all the places of prayer in Jeru-
salem ; and this I testify, who have seen them, and have
written this little notice.
THE END.
DS Palestine Pilgrims' Text
102 Society, London
P2 The library
1896
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